INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Aid Budget

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the budget allocation for  (a) Thailand,  (b) Burma,  (c) Malaysia,  (d) Cambodia,  (e) Vietnam,  (f) Laos,  (g) Indonesia,  (h) Singapore,  (i) Philippines and  (j) East Timor (i) was in 2005-06 and (ii) is in 2006-07.

Gareth Thomas: DFID allocates annual programme budgets for five of the countries specified: Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia and Vietnam. DFID spends modest sums in some of the other countries specified through regional projects and through support for non-governmental organisation (NGO) projects bid for through DFID's Civil Society Challenge Fund.
	The following table provides details of total DFID spend by country for 2005-06 and 2006-07:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Country programme  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Burma 7.545 8.000 
			 Cambodia 11.834 12.831 
			 East Timor 2.049 2.089 
			 Indonesia 32.316 30.347 
			 Indonesia Tsunami 14.000 18.500 
			 Laos 0.050 0.210 
			 Philippines (1)— (1)— 
			 Regional 2.085 2.049 
			 Singapore (1)— (1)— 
			 Thailand (1)— (1)— 
			 Vietnam 55.000 50.000 
			 (1 )None.

Burma

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research he has commissioned on the role aid can play in promoting democracy in Burma.

Gareth Thomas: During the last year DFID has commissioned two research projects that examine the role that aid can play in promoting democracy in Burma.
	Firstly, the Burma Strategic Development Assessment (SDA), undertaken on behalf of a range of donors currently active in Burma, identifies barriers to the achievement of sustainable peace and a successful transition to democracy. The SDA concludes that international humanitarian assistance should both ensure that conflict is not exacerbated, and, where possible, should contribute to the creation of the conditions necessary for a successful transition to democracy. Secondly, the Kataya (Burma Change) programme has researched a number of change processes in Burma to better understand how change happens, and how change could be influenced through development assistance.
	These two pieces of work suggest that there is an opportunity for donors to do more through their programmes to support peace-building and to help build the foundations of democracy in Burma. They suggest that donors should look to achieve humanitarian impact and to ensure that their programmes are conflict sensitive, but that they should also proactively seek opportunities to strengthen the key building blocks of democracy such as local accountability and local participation in decision making, through initiatives bringing together a range of Burmese partners (particularly from civil society, but also possibly the media, the private sector and local government). We are now considering how best this approach could be put into action.

Burma

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of aid in the form of  (a) food,  (b) medical supplies and  (c) shelter is being supplied to internally displaced Karen, Shan and Karenni people in Burma through mechanisms inside the country.

Gareth Thomas: In October 2005, the Thai Burma Border Consortium estimated that there were 540,000 displaced people in Eastern Burma. Of these, 340,000 were living in ceasefire areas; 108,000 were in State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) relocation sites; and 92,000 were hiding in conflict areas. DFID's approach to providing assistance to these IDPs has been to work inside Burma—including assistance through local civil society groups (DFID has established effective relationships with a range of ethnic minority and other groups), through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and by trying to improve access to displaced people to benefit from our project activities. These are not the only mechanisms through which donors can help (many, for example, fund cross-border teams operating from Thailand) but they enable access to IDPs who would not be reached by any other means, and through mechanisms which are much less-well supported by other donors.
	However, these extremely vulnerable people are very difficult to access—both cross-border from Thailand and from inside Burma—and there are currently no comprehensive figures on how much aid reaches them. We are in discussion with groups both inside and outside Burma to try to identify how we can increase the amount of assistance that reaches displaced people and we will be reviewing the nature of our own support before the end of the year.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what budget he expects to be allocated to Burma in each year between 2006 and 2009.

Gareth Thomas: The following budgets have been allocated to DFID's bilateral programme in Burma:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 7.5 
			 2006-07 8.0 
			 2007-08 8.0 
		
	
	In addition to this bilateral programme, approximately 18 per cent. of the European Commission's programme in Burma can be attributed to UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) through the UK's annual contribution. Over the past five years, the average of this amount has been £7.5 million.
	The budget for 2008-09 has not yet been allocated.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on providing aid to internally displaced people in Burma in the last five years other than through the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Gareth Thomas: In addition to the support which we have provided to the International Committee of the Red Cross over the past five years, in 2005-06 and 2006-07, we have funded some activities which are delivered through local community organisations and are focussed on directly benefiting internally displaced people (IDPs) hiding in conflict areas (US$364,000 over two years).
	Our health, education and rural livelihood projects provide assistance in eastern Burma, and support internally displaced people in temporary settlements and designated relocation sites, as well as other vulnerable people. It is not possible to provide an estimate of the percentage of spending on these projects which reaches IDPs. This is primarily because it is extremely difficult to gather reliable statistics about the demographics of the population in Burma and the origin of project beneficiaries.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of internally displaced people in Burma can be reached by aid delivered inside the country.

Gareth Thomas: Internally displaced people in Burma are not a homogeneous group. In October 2005, the Thai-Burma Border Consortium, a Thailand-based non-governmental organisation which receives DFID funding, estimated that the number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in eastern Burma was at least 540,000. This comprised approximately 340,000 people in temporary settlements in ceasefire areas administered by ethnic nationalities, 108,000 villagers who had been evicted by the Burmese Government and moved into designated relocation sites and 92,000 civilians hiding from the Burmese Army in areas most affected by armed conflict. The recent military offensive against the Karen people has swelled the number of civilians hiding in conflict areas by as many as 18,000.
	DFID provides assistance to IDPs through a number of different routes within Burma. DFID's provision of emergency assistance to IDPs hiding in conflict areas is through local community groups inside Burma. DFID's support to IDPs in temporary settlements in ceasefire areas in eastern Burma is through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to which we provide £500,000 a year, of which approximately 75 per cent. is attributable to work with displaced people in this area. In addition, our health, education and rural livelihood projects provide assistance in eastern Burma, and support internally displaced people in temporary settlements and designated relocation sites, as well as other vulnerable people.
	It is not possible to provide an estimate of the percentage of IDPs in Burma who can be reached by aid delivered inside the country. This is primarily because it is extremely difficult to gather reliable statistics about the demographics of the population in Burma and often of the origin of project beneficiaries. We believe that it is not currently possible to reach all IDPs either cross-border from Thailand or from inside Burma—and that each approach enables access to IDPs who would not be reached by any other means.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the budget allocation is for pro-democracy projects in Burma in 2006-07.

Gareth Thomas: Increased prospects for a successful transition to a democratic society is one of DFID's four objectives in 2006-07 and all projects funded from DFID's £7.5 million budget for 2006-07 include elements contributing to this outcome. There are no current projects focused entirely on pro-democracy.
	However, during the last year, DFID has commissioned two research studies that examine the role that aid can play in promoting democracy in Burma. Firstly, the Burma Strategic Development Assessment (SDA), undertaken on behalf of a range of donors currently active in Burma, identifies barriers to the achievement of sustainable peace and a successful transition to democracy. The SDA concludes that international humanitarian assistance should both ensure that conflict is not exacerbated, and where possible, should contribute to the creation of the conditions necessary for a successful transition to democracy. Secondly, the Kataya (Burma Change) programme has researched a number of change processes in Burma to better understand how change happens, and how change could be influenced through development assistance.
	These two pieces of work suggest that there is an opportunity for donors to do more through their programmes to support peace-building and to help build the foundations of democracy in Burma. They suggest that donors should look to achieve humanitarian impact and to ensure that their programmes are conflict sensitive, but that they should also proactively seek opportunities to strengthen the key building blocks of democracy such as local accountability and local participation in decision making, through low-level initiatives bringing together a range of Burmese partners (particularly from civil society, but also possibly the media, the private sector and local government). We are now considering how best this approach could be put into action.

Burma

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Government will contribute to the three diseases fund for Burma in each of the next three years.

Gareth Thomas: The initial concept of DFID involvement in the new multi-donor fund to tackle HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Burma was approved in March 2006, but the final details have yet to be finally approved, including the level of DFID's financial allocation.

Burma

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether resources from the new three diseases fund for Burma will be able to reach  (a) Karen,  (b) Shan and  (c) other internally displaced peoples; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The initial concept of DFID involvement in the new multi-donor fund to tackle HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Burma was approved in March 2006, but final details of DFID's involvement have yet to be finally approved. One of the decisions we are considering is whether the allocations of the 3D Fund would be able to reach Karen, Shan and other internally displaced people.

Indonesia

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much non-financial assistance the Government have pledged to Indonesia in the aftermath of the recent earthquake.

Gareth Thomas: DFID sent two humanitarian specialists to Yogyakarta within 48 hours of the earthquake to undertake a rapid assessment of the situation. The field team gathered first-hand information that allowed us to identify critical needs of the affected population. DFID funds were then quickly allocated. Our field team worked with the multilateral organisations and other donors especially in the affected areas to facilitate a comprehensive response.
	DFID's Jakarta office supported the field team by liaising with donors and relief agencies based in Jakarta to gather information on others' plans and assessments. In addition, we were able to provide urgent relief in the immediate aftermath of the disaster through local NGOs, co-ordinated by DFID staff from a forestry project based in the affected area. With this support, volunteers organised by the DFID project provided sustenance, shelter and basic household equipment to thousands of people.

Indonesia

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he had with  (a) agencies capable of large-scale infrastructure projects,  (b) aid agencies and  (c) non-governmental organisations in relation to the Indonesian earthquake relief effort.

Gareth Thomas: DFID staff based in Indonesia have maintained close contact with agencies capable of large-scale infrastructure projects, primarily the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, in considering the case for a UK contribution to the long-term reconstruction effort. We are now actively discussing with these agencies practical options for supporting the reconstruction of housing, which was particularly badly hit by the earthquake.
	In addition, DFID staff have held regular discussions with a wide range of other aid agencies and NGOs, both local and international, in assessing needs and co-ordinating responses to the earthquake. These discussions were crucial in informing the allocation of the £5 million so far committed by DFID to the humanitarian relief phase of the disaster.

Inter-American Development Bank

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of his Department's funding for South America in 2006-07 is being channelled through the Inter-American Development Bank.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's main financial contribution to Latin America (South and Central America) is through our contributions to multi lateral organisations working in the region such as the European Commission, and the concessional lending of the Inter American Development Bank (IADB) and the World Bank. There is no replenishment of the IADB's concessional lending fund in 2006-07. However, the UK has agreed to commit £2 million this year to the IADB administered Multilateral Investment Fund, which provides financial assistance primarily through grants.
	DFID's bilateral programme in Latin America is £12 million in 2006-07. An additional £7 million per year is provided through six international NGOs (OXFAM, CARE, CAFOD, HIV/AIDS Alliance, WWF and Christian Aid) for work with civil society. DFID also provides assistance through centrally managed programmes (research and the Civil Society Challenge Fund) and through debt relief. DFID works with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) on the Global Conflict Prevention Pool for Latin America.
	In 2005, DFID established the Markets and Governance for Poverty Reduction Trust Fund with the IADB, with funding of £1,200,000 planned for 2006-07. The IADB has also established a Trade and Poverty Trust Fund, with DFID funding of £200,000 in 2006-07. A further £400,000 will be provide through the ENLACE trust fund, which tackles social exclusion in Central America.

Iraq

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid was provided  (a) bilaterally and  (b) multilaterally to Iraq in (i) 2003, (ii) 2004 and (iii) 2005.

Hilary Benn: The UK Government have pledged a total of £544 million for humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in Iraq from 2003 to 2006. This includes contributions from DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) and the UK's share of EC funding. The UK has disbursed over £533 million.
	DFID has disbursed £354 million on humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Iraq since March 2003. We have also provided 19 per cent. of European Community (EC) development funding: EC assistance to Iraq totalled €518.5 million for 2003 to 2005, and a further €200 million has been approved for 2006.
	DFID spending can be broken down as follows:
	
		
			   Total bilateral gross public expenditure (£m)  Total DFID bilateral programme (£m)  Imputed multilateral shares DFID multilateral (£m)  Contributions to multilateral agencies 
			 2003 115 110 5 £84 million to UN agencies for 2003 Appeal 
			 £18 million to Red Cross 
			 £8 million to International Finance Corporation (IFC) 
			 £0.8 million to International Monetary Fund (IMF) 
			 2004 150 144 —(1) £70 million to UN and World Bank Trust Funds 
			 (1) Still to be verified.   Note:  Statistics for 2005 are, as yet, unavailable. 
		
	
	The Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP), funded jointly by DFID, the FCO and MOD, has disbursed £38 million on Iraq since 2003. In addition, the FCO has spent £38 million on reconstruction activities in Iraq, and the MOD has spent £35 million on Quick Impact Projects.

Millennium Development Goal

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will take steps to seek agreement to a specific millennium development goal which focuses on disability.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 19 June 2006
	The Government believe that disabled people must be included in efforts to reduce poverty and achieve the internationally agreed millennium development goals (MDGs). We recognise that the needs of disabled people must be addressed across all the MDGs to ensure their achievement in an inclusive manner.
	The Department for International Development's (DFID) approach to disability is set out in an Issues Paper—"Disability, Poverty and Development"—published in 2000; copies of which have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. DFID seeks to take account of disability issues across all its activities, as well as supporting a specific range of activities to empower disabled people. In September 2005, DFID also published a policy paper on social exclusion, entitled "Reducing Poverty by Tackling Social Exclusion"; again, copies of this document have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. This sets out actions that DFID is taking, or plans to take, to tackle the social exclusion faced by many poor people, including disabled people, to make a real difference to their lives.
	The Government are actively supporting the drafting of a United Nations International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The purpose of the convention is to enable disabled people across the world to have the same access to human rights protection as non-disabled people. If the convention is adopted, it will enable Governments to be called to account for their record on protecting disabled people from human rights abuses and help raise the profile of disability issues worldwide.
	DFID also seeks to work with our international partners—including UN agencies, the World Bank and partner Governments—to gain further support for tackling issues of disability and other forms of social exclusion. However, we do not believe this requires the creation of a new MDG and furthermore, it could also detract from efforts to mainstream disability issues across all the MDGs.

Water and Sanitation

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of his Department's budget was spent on water and sanitation in each of the last five financial years; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The following table gives figures on water and sanitation bilateral expenditure as a percentage of DFID bilateral aid (excludes poverty reduction budget support):
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 2000-01 0.9 
			 2001-02 1.0 
			 2002-03 1.1 
			 2003-04 1.8 
			 2004-05 1.3 
		
	
	All DFID's bilateral expenditure is allocated to specific Input Sector Codes, and these figures are based on this information. However, as water and sanitation initiatives are so cross-cutting, this approach is not sensitive enough to identify all expenditure in this area. DFID has therefore done further research to produce a more detailed analysis of its water and sanitation expenditure. DFID does not allocate its multilateral aid by sector, but we have taken steps to estimate this for water and sanitation. Based on these figures, DFID's total expenditure on water and sanitation was £221 million in 2003-04, an increase from £147 million in 2002-03.
	In response to the current situation where most of sub-Saharan Africa is off-track to meet the water and sanitation MDG targets, I have committed to double spending on water supply and sanitation sectors in Africa from £47.5 million in 2004-05 to £95 million in 2007-08. We anticipate that meeting the commitment will require an increase in expenditure through all funding mechanisms, including our own bilateral programmes, but also through encouraging others such as the World Bank and the EU to do more in water and sanitation.
	A copy of the report entitled "Financial Support to the Water Sector 2002-04", has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses in response to previous similar questions.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abattoirs

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abattoirs in Dorset  (a) there are and  (b) there were in 1997.

Barry Gardiner: There are five abattoirs currently operating in Dorset. The Department has no figure available for the number of abattoirs operating in 1997, although the national picture shows that a reduction and some consolidation has occurred over this period.

Amazon Deforestation

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on illegal logging in the Amazon rain forest.

Barry Gardiner: We recognise that deforestation is a serious problem in the Amazon. Our efforts to tackle illegal logging rely on close co-operation between a number of Government Departments including DFID, FCO and DEFRA.
	Estimates from the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) suggest that deforestation (including logging in rain forests) is currently responsible for about 20 per cent. of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Our policy is that emissions reductions from reduced deforestation should be part of developing countries' participation in international climate change agreements and we are participating actively in negotiations and associated technical discussions that can help to bring it about.
	The British Government have initiated a high-level dialogue on sustainable development with the Brazilian Government and national stakeholders to promote action on commonly identified sustainable development challenges—including natural resource protection.
	DEFRA, through its work on the convention on biological diversity (CBD) and other fora, is committed to international efforts for the conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity. Through the Darwin Initiative, it has committed more than £5 million to collaborative forestry projects, drawing on UK expertise to help developing countries design and implement conservation measures.
	We are also working within the G8 and the EU to recognise our role as consumers by expressing our wish to buy forest products only from responsibly managed forests.

Bankrupt Farmers

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of farmers who went bankrupt in  (a) England,  (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and  (c) Beverley and Holderness in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Department does not hold this information.

Beef Exports

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how long he expects it to take for British beef exports to reach their 1996 levels.

Barry Gardiner: The Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) estimates that in 2006 UK exports could be about 40,000 tonnes divided equally between prime beef and cow beef. There is also strong interest in exporting pedigree breeding stock and other cattle (including calves).
	However, it will of course take time to regain lost markets and to approach previous record export levels, which amounted to nearly £600 million for beef exports and £78 million for cattle in 1995.

Biodiversity

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to monitor the extent to which public bodies which report to him comply, from October, with their duty to conserve biodiversity in exercising their functions, under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

Barry Gardiner: Under Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, all public bodies have a duty to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity in the exercising of their functions. There is no statutory obligation on Departments to monitor the extent to which public bodies comply with this duty. My Department is working with a wide range of partners to develop guidance for public bodies to support the implementation of this duty and will involve all relevant Departments on the development of guidance.

CAP Reform

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for further reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, with particular reference to evaluating the advantages of nationalising resources.

Barry Gardiner: We want a CAP which enables EU farming to be internationally competitive without reliance on subsidy or protectionism, so that it is able to meet the challenges and reap the opportunities of globalisation.
	Farming should be rewarded by the market for its output of safe, quality food and by the taxpayer for delivering public benefits (such as environmental protection) which the market cannot deliver. Major steps have been made recently in this direction but the cost of the CAP to consumers and taxpayers is still very high in relation to the public benefits which it delivers.
	The UK has long advocated reductions in CAP subsidy levels, the end of export subsidies, greater market access for developing countries, the removal of market distorting measures such as production quotas and greater transfer of CAP funding to schemes which bring environmental benefits.
	Whatever reforms are agreed to the CAP on the budgetary side, it is important that EU agriculture operates within a common policy framework which does not lead to trade distortion between member states. What we have called for is a review to see how the CAP can be reformed to deliver better value for EU citizens, reduce inefficiencies and remaining trade distortion and achieve a more competitive farm industry.

Climate Change

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contribution the UK Government are making to the development of EU policy on tackling climate change.

Ian Pearson: During its presidency of the EU the UK put climate change high on the agenda, raising its status as a key EU issue in contacts with other countries and driving forward international negotiations. Momentum built up during our presidency ensures we are able to continue working closely with our EU partners to secure agreement on further action in the EU on climate change. We are working closely with the Commission and member states on the review of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, which will help strengthen the scheme post-2012. We are participating fully in the process to develop a second European Climate Change Programme, designed to deliver ambitious cuts in emissions in the medium and long-term. And we are helping to steer the development of the EU's energy strategy to ensure that it takes into account climate change concerns.
	The UK is also pressing the Commission to include aviation in the Emissions Trading Scheme from 2008 or as soon as possible thereafter. The Council of Ministers has indicated its support for this and we expect the Commission to present a legislative proposal by the end of 2006.

Correspondence

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 149-150W, on correspondence, how many letters from hon. Members failed to receive an answer in the period referred to.

Barry Gardiner: The Department has no correspondence outstanding from 2004. Of the 12,051 letters received in 2005 from hon. and right hon. Members (including Members of the House of Lords), 88 (0.7 per cent.) await reply.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total level of funding is for the countryside stewardship scheme; and how much funding  (a) has been allocated in each agreement year since the scheme's inception and  (b) is planned to be allocated in each future agreement year.

Barry Gardiner: Details of expenditure on the countryside stewardship scheme is set out as follows.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1994-95 10.5 
			 1995-96 12.6 
			 1996-97 12.5 
			 1997-98 17.8 
			 1998-99 22.0 
			 1999-2000 26.1 
			 2000-01 31.9 
			 2001-02 43.4 
			 2002-03 53.1 
			 2003-04 74.1 
			 2004-05 106.5 
			 2005-06 117.4 
			 2006-07 (1)96.1 
			 (1) Estimate. 
		
	
	The countryside stewardship scheme closed to new applications in 2004 with the introduction of the environmental stewardship scheme. Existing agreements will continue until they expire. The last agreements will expire in 2013.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many agreements providing public access there were in each agreement year since the countryside stewardship scheme's inception; and how many such agreements applied to land within two miles of  (a) an urban area and  (b) the coast in each year.

Barry Gardiner: Data is only available from 1998. The number of countryside stewardship scheme agreements providing permissive public access in each scheme year since 1998 are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1998 607 
			 1999 789 
			 2000 1,101 
			 2001 1,444 
			 2002 1,954 
			 2003 2,419 
			 2004 2,681 
		
	
	The answers to parts  (a) and  (b) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to how many hectares of land agreements under the countryside stewardship scheme which provided public access applied in each agreement year since the scheme's inception; and how many such agreements applied to land within two miles of  (a) an urban area and  (b) the coast in each year.

Barry Gardiner: Data is only available from 1998. The number of hectares of land under countryside stewardship scheme agreements which provided public access since 1998 were as follows:
	
		
			   Hectares 
			 1998 7,633.54 
			 1999 9,926.14 
			 2000 11,991.90 
			 2001 9,650.07 
			 2002 8,669.26 
			 2003 8,406.88 
			 2004 7,608.83 
		
	
	The answers to parts  (a) and  (b) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding has been provided under the countryside stewardship scheme for  (a) all agreements providing public access,  (b) all agreements providing public access within two miles of an urban area and  (c) all agreements providing public access within two miles of the coast in each agreement year since the scheme's inception; and how much such funding is planned to be provided in each future agreement year.

Barry Gardiner: Data is only available from 1998. The amount of funding that has been provided under the countryside stewardship scheme for all agreements providing public access since 1998 is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 1998 512,153.05 
			 1999 715,461.08 
			 2000 940,558.30 
			 2001 848,021.80 
		
	
	
		
			   £ 
			 2002 859,521.80 
			 2003 1,769,442.55 
			 2004 1,776,678.92 
		
	
	The answers to parts  (b) and  (c) could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Public access is only one of the objectives of the scheme. As funding will be allocated to the scheme as a whole rather than to individual objectives, it is not possible to confirm how much funding will be provided for public access specifically in future years. However, funding of existing agreements will continue until the end of their 10-year life-spans.

Criminal Offences Legislation

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department since April 2005, broken down by Act.

Barry Gardiner: A comprehensive and exhaustive list of new offences created in all legislation sponsored by Defra since April 2005 could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Much of the legislation is subordinate and regulatory in nature: some new offences have been created, some offences have been repealed and re-enacted; most of the offences relate to breach of the regulations or obstruction of officers enforcing the regulations. Many of the offence provisions relate to emergency legislation arising from the threat of avian influenza.
	I can however provide the following information on primary legislation which has created offences since April 2005.
	The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (c.16) created the following offences:
	"nuisance parking" which is the selling or repairing of vehicles on a road by persons in business;
	breach of "dog control orders": in relation to specified land such orders may exclude dogs from the land, prohibit the fouling of the land, require dogs to be kept on leads when on the land or limit the number of dogs a person may take onto the specified land;
	in relation to certain premises in an "Alarm Notification Area" Part 7 of the Act created the offence of failing to nominate a key-holder where an audible intruder alarm is present.
	The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 also made many existing offences punishable by fixed penalty notices.
	The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (c. 16) created the following offences:
	possession without reasonable excuse of certain pesticides harmful to wildlife (section 43);
	interfering with the vacated nests of certain birds such as the golden eagle and the osprey which habitually re-use their nests (section 47);
	selling any live captive-bred wild bird which has been lawfully released into the wild as part of a re-population or re-introduction programme (section 48);
	in relation to certain invasive non-native species such as the grey squirrel, ruddy duck or Japanese knotweed, selling any animal or plant, or eggs or seeds thereof (section 50);
	interfering with Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in various ways including interfering with the notices or signs relating to an SSSI.

Departmental Budget

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1818W, on the Departmental Budget, what the reason was for the change in the amount spent on advertising in 2005-06 from the amount in 2004-05.

Barry Gardiner: Media expenditure reverted back to realistic levels in 2004-05, and 2005-06. Centralised media expenditure in 2003-04 was noticeably less than previous and recent years, and reflected an uncharacteristic dip in total communications expenditure for that year. Defra underwent significant structural changes in 2003-04 which was the main reason for the temporary decline in expenditure, including:
	Changes in managing "statutory notice" advertising, which accounts for 83 per cent. of annual media spend. The change in process, and handover between agencies was reflected in minimal levels in advertising activity.
	Defra's branding being finalised during 2003-04. This impacted on advertising expenditure, as it is usual practice that when any brand is under review or under development, advertising activity is minimised or even put on hold.

Disability Access

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any building in his Department falls short of disability access regulations.

Barry Gardiner: Defra, in recognising that as employers and service provider to the public they are subject to the duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, has previously undertaken extensive surveys and embarked upon improvement works in locations where the public have access to ensure compliance with the regulations. While the principle of reasonable adjustment is fundamental to the Act, Defra has adopted a proactive approach as is practicable.
	Additionally, significantly, buildings used solely by staff generally comply where it is "reasonable" so to do—where specific instances arise, adjustments are usually made.
	All new build projects are designed to ensure compliance with Part M of the Building Regulations.

Environmental Liability Directive

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Department's policy is on whether doctors, veterinarians and farmers  (a) are operators under the environmental liability directive and  (b) would consequently be considered liable for the remediation costs of environmental harm if it arose from their use of genetically modified vaccines, crops or other organisms unless UK implementing regulations define the operator otherwise.

Ian Pearson: The definition of operator in the environmental liability directive suggests that all occupational activities (including doctors, veterinarians and farmers) fall within the scope of the directive. The Government cannot amend the definition to exclude specific occupational activities. The extent to which the specific occupations referred to attract liability—whether strict or fault—under the directive will depend on the precise nature of the activities they undertake and the circumstances in which those activities are undertaken.
	In respect of strict liability, genetically modified organisms fall within the scope of the directive and genetically modified vaccines may do so by virtue of the provisions relating to dangerous substances. All genetically modified substances which do not fall within the strict liability provisions of the directive would in any case fall within the fault-based liability provisions in respect of damage to EU- protected biodiversity.

Farming

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were employed in  (a) dairy farming,  (b) beef farming,  (c) sheep farming,  (d) arable farming,  (e) mixed farming and  (f) other forms of farming in Cumbria in (i) 1990, (ii) 2000 and (iii) 2005.

Barry Gardiner: The number of workers on agricultural and horticultural holdings by farm type in Cumbria is as follows;
	
		
			   1995  2000  2005 
			  Farm type  Employees  Total labour  Employees  Total labour  Employees  Total labour 
			 Cereals 22 74 (1)— 102 74 294 
			 General cropping 30 60 (1)— 16 66 122 
			 Horticulture 144 250 135 296 194 384 
			 Pigs and poultry 138 273 127 325 143 481 
			 Dairy 1,875 5,334 1,314 4,402 1,016 3,642 
			 LFA—grazing livestock 1,179 4,024 869 3,976 843 4,097 
			 Lowland—grazing livestock 948 3,368 776 3,331 457 2,460 
			 Mixed 219 485 162 474 248 900 
			 Other types 106 612 90 848 113 757 
			 All types 4,661 14,480 3,504 13,770 3,154 13,139 
			 (1 )Indicates data withheld on order to prevent the disclosure of individual holding data, in accordance with the Agricultural Statistics Act 1979.   Notes:  1. Total employees include full and part-time regular workers, salaried managers and casual workers.  2. Total labour force included all employees plus farmers, partners, directors and their spouses if working on the holding.  3. Figures for 1995 refer to main holdings only. Figures for 2000 and 2005 include all holdings.  Source:  June Agricultural Survey.

Farming

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much land was given over to organic production in each region in each year since 1990; what the total land area under agricultural use was in each year; and what percentage of all agricultural land the former represented in each year.

Ben Bradshaw: The following tables show areas of organic and in-conversion land, total agricultural land and the percentage that organic land represents for all agricultural land. Figures for organic land are only available from 2003 onwards.
	
		
			  UK area of organic and in conversion land by region as a proportion of total agricultural area 
			   March 2003  January 2004 
			   Organic and in conversion area (ha)  Total agricultural area( 1 ) (ha)  Percentage of total agricultural area  Organic and in conversion area (ha)  Total agricultural area( 1 ) (ha)  Percentage of total agricultural area 
			 North East 27,748 581,903 4.8 28,883 580,296 5.0 
			 North West 22,804 883,952 2.6 22,507 897,417 2.5 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 9,225 1,093,249 0.8 9,754 1,096,226 0.9 
			 East Midlands 14,858 1,219,865 1.2 17,737 1,225,257 1.4 
			 West Midlands 29,401 927,970 3.2 29,180 942,592 3.1 
			 Eastern 11,893 1,471,058 0.8 12,672 1,458,963 0.9 
			 South West 96,059 1,765,745 5.4 97,159 1,801,559 5.4 
			 South East (Including London) 39,848 1,155,309 3.4 41,038 1,175,079 3.5 
			
			 England 251,836 9,099,052 2.8 258,930 9,177,389 2.8 
			 Wales 55,101 1,452,199 3.8 58,246 1,458,825 4.0 
			 Scotland 428,608 5,535,551 7.7 372,562 5,520,500 6.7 
			 Northern Ireland 5,629 1,067,262 0.5 5,882 1,073,887 0.5 
			
			 UK 741,174 17,154,064 4.3 695,619 17,212,512 4.0 
		
	
	
		
			   January 2005 
			   Organic and in conversion area (ha)  Total agricultural area( 1 ) (ha)  Percentage of total agricultural area 
			 North East 29,964 587,108 5.1 
			 North West 22,633 920,557 2.5 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 9,838 1,123,788 0.9 
			 East Midlands 14,609 1,239,185 1.2 
			 West Midlands 29,140 979,260 3.0 
			 Eastern 12,761 1,487,805 0.9 
			 South West 99,804 1,868,351 5.3 
			 South East (Including London) 40,623 1,213,992 3.3 
			 
			 England 259,372 9,420,046 2.8 
			 Wales 64,531 1,453,000 4.4 
			 Scotland 359,615 4,918,055 7.3 
			 Northern Ireland 6,750 1,033,194 0.7 
			 
			 UK 690,269 16,824,295 4.1 
			 (1) Excludes common grazing land.

GM Organisms

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of agricultural authorities from the new entrant countries into the EU about their policy on genetically modified organisms; and how many of those countries are permitting cultivation of GM food for export into the UK.

Ian Pearson: No DEFRA Ministers have had any recent bilateral discussions with representatives of agricultural authorities from the countries which joined the EU on 1 May 2004 about their policy on genetically modified (GM) organisms. However, periodic collective discussions are held, involving all EU member states.
	The EU regulatory regime permits the cultivation of only those GM crops which have received a prior EU approval for cultivation. Any approved GM crop so cultivated could then be traded within the internal market, including being exported to the UK. All new member states signed up to this regime when they joined the EU.

Housing

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission Report's recommendations on  (a) second homes and tax,  (b) second homes and planning use claims order,  (c) public funding proportions for rural communities,  (d) right-to-buy and right-to-acquire entitlements in rural areas and  (e) changes in the tax system to improve supply of development sites for affordable housing.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	We are currently considering the report and will use a range of channels and mechanisms to respond in a constructive way to the agenda set by the Commission, including in the forthcoming spending review.

Illegal Immigrants

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many illegal immigrants have been discovered to be employed by his Department in each year since 2001; in what capacities they were employed; how many were discovered as part of a criminal investigation; and what the nature of the charges brought against them were.

Barry Gardiner: No staff directly employed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since 2001, including those on fixed term appointment and casual contracts, have been identified as illegal immigrants.
	With regard to agency workers, contractors and consultants etc, security vetting of contractors' staff working in Defra's premises has led to the following:
	2001—a security guard was arrested on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant and subsequently deported;
	2005—a cleaner was arrested on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant;
	2006—a cleaning supervisor was arrested on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant.
	None were discovered as part of wider criminal investigations. The Department reports suspicions about the immigration status of staff, whether directly employed or working for contractors, to the appropriate authorities.

Ivory

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) import and  (b) export permits the UK has processed for ivory in each year since 1997; and what (i) the nature of the item and (ii) the country of (A) origin or (B) destination was in each case.

Barry Gardiner: The UK Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Management Authority has issued over 14,000 import, export or re-export permits in total since 1997. The number of each category of permit and the number of pieces of ivory involved are set out in the table.
	Because of the large number of permits, these figures cannot readily be broken down further into country of origin or destination. In most cases the country of origin is unknown, as the vast majority of applications are for antique ivory and there is no definitive proof to confirm whether the ivory is Indian or African, and even if African, which country it was originally taken from.
	
		
			   Item  Import permits  Number of pieces  Export permits  Number of pieces  Re-export permits  Number of pieces 
			 1997 Carving 163 1,802 2 11 920 2,951 
			  Tusk 1 1 0 0 5 55 
			  Ivory pieces 1 1 0 0 2 33 
			 
			 1998 Carving 341 1,672 0 0 1,250 3,937 
			  Tusk 1 1 0 0 4 19 
			  Ivory pieces 0 0 0 0 1 4 
			 1998 Carving 127 616 3 3 1,134 4,547 
			  Tusk 6 11 0 0 2 3 
			  Ivory pieces 0 0 0 0 3 3 
			 
			 2000 Carving 223 572 2 41 1,275 4,151 
			  Tusk 4 10 0 0 1 1 
			  Ivory pieces 0 0 0 0 2 3 
			 
			 2001 Carving 278 569 0 0 1,218 2,243 
			  Tusk 0 0 0 0 2 2 
			  Ivory pieces 3 5 0 0 2 2 
			 
			 2002 Carving 168 317 4 6 1,079 2,441 
			  Tusk 0 0 0 0 1 2 
			  Ivory pieces 4 5 0 0 1 2 
			 
			 2003 Carving 732 1,323 0 0 1,626 3,916 
			  Tusk 0 0 0 0 1 2 
			  Ivory pieces 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 
			 2004 Carving 318 971 0 0 1,258 5,139 
			  Tusk 2 2 0 0 1 1 
			  Ivory pieces 3 3 0 0 2 2 
			 
			 2005 Carving 441 845 1 1 1,689 7,520 
			  Tusk 8 10 0 0 2 2 
			  Ivory pieces 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 
			 2006 Carving 47 51 0 0 281 850 
			  Tusk 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Ivory pieces 0 0 0 0 0 0

Jubilee River, Berkshire

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations the Environment Agency has received about Jubilee River in Berkshire; and what recent assessment he has made of the appropriateness of the design adopted by the Jubilee River designers.

Ian Pearson: The major representations that the Environment Agency have received over the last few months have come from two groups—Community Support Group South and Thames Awash.
	A great deal of work has been carried out to assess the current standard of protection offered by the Jubilee River, as well as the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation Scheme (MWEFAS) as a whole, which the Agency accepts is below that expected when the scheme was designed.
	Currently MWEFAS offers protection up to a flow of 420 m(3)/s (82 per cent. of the original scheme design capacity). Final works are being carried out this summer, which will further increase the capacity of the scheme (to 450 m(3)/s (87 per cent. of the original scheme design capacity).

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list those occasions when the recommendations of a report from the parliamentary ombudsman were  (a) rejected and  (b) partly rejected by his Department since 1997.

Barry Gardiner: Neither the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) nor its predecessors have collated figures on the number of occasions where they have refused or omitted to give effect to the recommendations of the parliamentary ombudsman. While a definitive reply could be provided only at disproportionate cost, there is no immediate evidence available that suggests that we have rejected any recommendation from the parliamentary ombudsman since 2001 when Defra was established.

Payment Schemes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what quality control checks are in place for the administration of the single payment scheme; and what steps he has taken to satisfy himself that these are  (a) sufficiently sound to ensure the proper disbursement of public funds and  (b) sufficiently robust to meet EU scrutiny standards.

Barry Gardiner: The Rural Payments Agency is responsible for the administration of the single payment scheme. There is a framework of quality checks in place and they are undertaken at various stages during the processing cycle. For the 2005 scheme year checks were undertaken on data capture, primary and detailed validation processes. There were also authorisation checks following completion of validation. In addition the computer system was designed with internal quality checks to ensure both the proper disbursement of public funds and to meet the EU scrutiny standards.

Payment Schemes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest single payment scheme individual payment has been made to date; and whether these payments were correct.

Barry Gardiner: The highest and lowest single payment scheme (SPS) payment made up to and including 8 June are:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Highest 2,242,892.10 
			 Lowest 0.01 
		
	
	These payments were correct based on information provided by the claimant and were calculated in accordance with the SPS EU regulation.
	The £0.01 payments are at the extreme end of where penalties apply on a sliding scale if, for example, people over-claim on their land entitlements. A number of calculations are made to the entitlement value of a claim, for example 95 per cent. on entitlement value, 5 per cent. for modulation and the final payable figure, at a low value in instances of high penalties, is subject to rounding.

Payment Schemes

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether, under single payment scheme arrangements, farmers with common grazing rights are being notified of their individual share of commons allocation to enable them to check  (a) the methodology and accuracy of the apportionment between the various right-holders and  (b) the validity of the single payments made to them.

Barry Gardiner: Farmers are being notified of the hectarage of the common land which has been allocated to them based on the rights which they hold for the common. The calculation method is detailed on pages 14 and 15 of the 2005 SPS handbook and guidance. The vast majority of claimants making use of common land in support of their claim have now received a payment.

Payment Schemes

Patrick McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Department will reply to the letters of  (a) 22 March and  (b) 21 April 2006 from the hon. Member for West Derbyshire on representations from the National Farmers Union in respect of the single farm payment scheme.

Barry Gardiner: The problems facing the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in getting payments out to farmers have resulted in Ministers receiving over 350 letters from MPs relating to their constituents' problems caused by non-receipt of SPS payments.
	Changing policy developments, including most notably the change from 15 to 31 May in respect of the date for penalties for late 2006 applications and the introduction of partial payments, have led to regrettable delays in responding.
	Replies have been sent.

Payment Schemes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farmers in England are awaiting payments under the single farm payment scheme.

Barry Gardiner: The total number of single payment scheme customers is approximately 120,000. As at 14 June 2006, 15,000 customers had not received either a full or partial payment.

Payment Schemes

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of delays in the single payment scheme on levels of stress among farmers.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 22 June 2006
	There has been no specific assessment of stress among farmers arising out of the timing of payments under the single payment scheme. However, the Government do recognise that some farmers will have faced cash-flow problems and other hardships due to the timing of these payments. As such, an extra £115,000 in funding was made available to a number of key rural support organisations who deal with such issues.

Payment Schemes

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the forms for the 2007 single farm payments will be sent out.

Barry Gardiner: There is no regulatory deadline for the despatch of application forms to the single payment scheme. However, the Rural Payments Agency will aim to issue application forms to all known customers at least one month before the 15 May deadline in 2007.

Payment Schemes

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms in the east of England have qualified for subsidies from the EU common agricultural policy fund, broken down by county.

Barry Gardiner: The single payment scheme is not administered on a regional basis so the Rural Payments Agency is not able to estimate how many applications were submitted by farmers living in the east of England.

Payment Schemes

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what was the largest single farmer subsidy, including EU subsidy, paid to a farmer in Bassetlaw constituency in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2005.

Barry Gardiner: The largest single CAP subsidy payment made to a farmer in the Bassetlaw constituency in each of the two years requested is:
	
		
			   Amount (£000) 
			 2003-04 248 
			 2004-05 244

Payment Schemes

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes there have been in the number of  (a) subsidies farmers may claim for and  (b) forms farmers have to submit to his Department in each of the last three years.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 15 June 2006
	The most significant change has been the introduction of the single payment scheme which was introduced on 1 January 2005 and replaced at least 11 direct payment schemes, which had previously existed under the European Common Agricultural Policy. It has brought the benefit of a single annual application form instead of a series of claim forms with different rules, deadlines and, in some cases, claiming frequencies.
	The launch of Environmental Stewardship in March 2005 took forward two of Defra's flagship schemes, countryside stewardship and environmentally sensitive areas. Environmental Stewardship has three strands: entry level stewardship is open to all in farming, organic entry level stewardship is available to those wishing to farm organically, and higher level stewardship provides more resource in return for more specific environmental benefits in high priority situations.
	In addition, Defra has made a commitment to reduce administrative burdens on farm businesses by 25 per cent. and we are undertaking a number of projects to look at the scope to consolidate and reduce the number of forms that farmers have to complete.
	For example, the whole farm approach is expected to significantly reduce the bureaucracy farmers currently face. By streamlining regulation and offering a range of innovative online services the whole process of dealing with Government will become more efficient and user friendly—ultimately providing a range of benefits that will help to support a sustainable food and farming industry.

Payment Schemes

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the National Audit Office on the single farm payment.

Barry Gardiner: Officials within the Department have discussed various aspects of the implementation of the single payment scheme with the National Audit Office, including in relation to the NAO's current value for money study.

Payment Schemes

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department intends to make interim payments of the hill farm allowance to farmers whose claims have not been received in full by the end of May.

Barry Gardiner: Where hill farm allowance payments will not have been made in full by the end of June, The Rural Payments Agency intends to make part payments based on those land areas that have been validated for payment. In many cases, this should represent the majority of the area claimed.

Payment Schemes

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons payments of the hill farm allowance to farmers on Exmoor have been delayed.

Barry Gardiner: In recent months the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has been prioritising the payment of Single Payment Scheme (SPS) claims. This has resulted in reduced processing resources being available for other schemes administered by RPA, including hill farm allowance, and consequently claims are being paid later than in previous years.

Payment Schemes

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects farmers on Exmoor to receive their hill farm allowance.

Barry Gardiner: Hill farm allowance payments have now been made in full to 35 per cent. of eligible claimants. The Rural Payment Agency intends to make the remaining payments (or to make part payments where full payments are not possible) by the end of June.

Rural Payments Agency (Job Objectives)

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what job objectives were set for the former Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency for  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06; and to what extent they were achieved.

Barry Gardiner: The job objectives set for the former Chief Executive of the RPA in 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 mirrored the targets set for the Agency in the business plans for each of those years and reported on for 2003-04 and 2004-05 in the published annual report with accounts. The Library of the House possesses copies of all these documents.
	Each year the performance against targets of each of the Defra executive agencies is audited by Defra Internal Audit Division and the annual accounts are signed off by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Assessment of chief executives' performance takes place once these checks have been carried out.
	In the light of these checks, the assessment for 2003-04 was that the RPA CE had achieved 91.6 per cent. of his objectives and the assessment for 2004-05 was that the RPA CE had achieved 100 per cent. of his objectives. The checks for 2005-06 have not yet been completed.

Rutland Water

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) Anglian Water and  (b) Rutland county council on expanding water supply from Rutland Water.

Ian Pearson: No recent discussions have been held between my Department and Anglian Water on this issue, although I understand that discussions were held between the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and officials from this company during 2005.

School Canteens

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support the Department is making available to allow farmers to launch initiatives to supply school canteens direct.

Barry Gardiner: My Department, under the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI), is continuing to help the nine English Government offices for the regions to fund workshops for buyers and suppliers and projects to develop the supply side. This is increasing opportunities for small local farmers and growers to tender to supply food to schools and other public bodies, either directly or through primary suppliers such as contract caterers, wholesalers and other intermediaries.
	My Department is also seeking to work with the School Food Trust which is supporting schools, local authorities, school cooks and catering providers to ensure that food in schools meets the Government's new standards. My Department will also shortly be publishing a guide to help farmers and growers understand how to supply the public sector—a market worth £2 billion a year. This will supplement the advice currently on the PSFPI website, which includes case studies and reports on some of the regional projects already undertaken (http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/sustain/procurement/index.htm).

Special Protection Areas

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a regulatory impact assessment will be published in relation to mitigation guidance for special protection areas.

Barry Gardiner: There are no plans to issue UK guidance on mitigation in relation to special protection areas. However, the European Commission is currently preparing guidance on the payment of compensation for all Natura 2000 sites, including special protection areas. Although this will not directly address the question of mitigation, it will make clear what kind of mitigation measures must have been attempted before compensation can become payable.
	It is not normally necessary to publish a regulatory impact assessment when preparing guidance on existing legislation. However, we would certainly do so should it be necessary to amend the legislation on special protection areas for any reason.

Staff Absenteeism

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many working days have been lost to the Department and its executive agencies in each year since 1997 due to staff absenteeism, expressed as the average annual number of absent days per employee; and what the estimated cost to the Department and its agencies of absenteeism was in each year.

Barry Gardiner: holding answer 19 June 2006
	Defra was created in June 2001, and the answer given relates to the period since then.
	The most significant cause of staff absence is sickness. The average number of working days lost per employee due to sickness absence in full calendar years since the creation of Defra is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Department/agency  2002  2003  2004 
			 Defra 8.7 8.3 7.5 
			 CEFAS 5.2 7.2 6.2 
			 CSL 6.1 6.6 6.1 
			 PSD 6.4 5.4 6.7 
			 RPA 10.9 10.6 8.7 
			 VLA 8.0 8.4 8.2 
			 VMD 6.4 8.5 5.7 
		
	
	Data on sickness absences for 2005 is not yet available.
	The estimated total cost of sickness absence for Defra and its agencies each year is as follows:
	
		
			   Cost (£) 
			 2002 9,116,000 
			 2003 9,580,000 
			 2004 8,983,000 
		
	
	These figures represent the average salary costs for the number of working days lost.
	The average number of working days lost per employee due to industrial action since 2001 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Department/agency  2001  2004  2005 
			 Defra 0.93 0.15 0.10 
			 CEFAS — 0.05 0.00 
			 CSL — 0.00 0.00 
			 PSD — 0.17 0.00 
			 RPA — 0.26 0.35 
			 VLA — 0.00 0.00 
			 VMD — 0.01 0.00 
		
	
	The figure given for 2001 covers Defra and the agencies. Individual figures for the agencies are not available. There were no days lost to industrial action in 2002 or 2003.
	Estimated cost figures for industrial action are not applicable since pay is stopped for the period of absence.

Staff Development

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total cost was of  (a) staff away days and  (b) staff team building exercises in his Department in each of the last three years.

Barry Gardiner: Each business area within the core Department holds its own devolved learning and development budget which it uses to fund locally arranged training for its staff, including staff away days and team building exercises.
	The costs of locally funded staff away days and team building events in each of the last three calendar years were:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Away days  Team building events  Totals 
			 2003 43,659 44,162 87,821 
			 2004 79,930 71,705 151,635 
			 2005 84,721 71 ,093 155,814 
			 Total 208,310 186,960 395,270

Sustainable Timber

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will reconsider his response to the Environmental Audit Committee's Second Report of Session 2005-06 on sustainable timber; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The Government's response to the Environmental Audit Committee Report on sustainable timber, as published on 4 May 2006 (HC 1078), acknowledges that more should be done to facilitate sustainable forestry both domestically and internationally. Further measures to strengthen the Government's commitment to sustainable and productive forests will be developed in the near future and the Government will write to the Environmental Audit Committee about these measures in due course.

Sustainable Water Systems

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the use of sustainable water systems in new housing developments.

Ian Pearson: Defra is working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to introduce measures that encourage the use of sustainable water systems in new housing.
	DCLG has consulted on proposals for a new Code for Sustainable Homes. This would promote sustainable drainage and set out standards for water efficiency above the current statutory baseline. DCLG has announced plans to strengthen elements of the proposed code, and is considering making minimum standards of water efficiency mandatory. From April 2006 all new homes funded by English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation will be required to meet code level three (equivalent to the EcoHomes Very Good, 2006 standard).
	In addition Defra and DCLG are working jointly on new regulations to improve water efficiency in buildings. We intend to consult jointly this summer on ways of making minimum standards of water efficiency mandatory in new homes, existing buildings and in respect of domestic uses in non-household property.

Sustainable Water Systems

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions the Water Saving Group has had on rainwater harvesting for use in households.

Ian Pearson: The Water Saving Group is currently working on an agreed action plan to encourage the efficient use of water in households, although it has not looked at rainwater harvesting specifically. However, the Government's Market Transformation Programme is looking at technologies that could potentially reduce overall water consumption by reusing rainwater and/or greywater (from baths/showers etc). A project has started this year to develop the necessary evidence, economic case, feasibility, performance standards, policy action plan and impact scenarios to determine the best use of rainwater and greywater technology.

Sustainable Water Systems

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there are plans to provide financial incentives for households to use  (a) rainwater harvesting and  (b) other water conservation technologies.

Ian Pearson: The Government encourage the use of water butts as a sensible way to harvest rainwater for use in garden watering and car washing. As part of the duty to promote the efficient use of water by their customers, many water companies offer subsidised water butts, as well as other devices that can save water. Metered customers have a financial incentive to use water carefully and install water efficient fittings.

TRANSPORT

A303

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average daily  (a) volume and  (b) speed of traffic travelling on the A303 was in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: Average daily traffic flows on the A303 are available at several locations. However, not all locations have data as far back as 1997. Regular speed monitoring started in 2002-03. The following sites are typical of the flows on different sections of the road:
	
		
			   Andover Bypass  East of Longbarrow Roundabout (near Stonehenge)  Ilminster Bypass 
			   Flow  Speed  Flow  Speed  Flow  Speed 
			 1997 42,000 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 1998 41,000 n/a 21,000 n/a 21,000 n/a 
			 1999 45,000 n/a 21,000 n/a 20,000 n/a 
			 2000 46,000 n/a 21,000 n/a 23,000 n/a 
			 2001 47,000 n/a 23,000 n/a 23,000 n/a 
			 2002 49,000 n/a 23,000 n/a 25,000 n/a 
			 2003 49,000 62 23,000 45 24,000 n/a 
			 2004 49,000 66 23,000 45 25,000 54 
			 2005 49,000 66 23,000 44 25,000 55 
		
	
	Flows are average numbers of vehicles per 24-hour day (vpd) to the nearest thousand and speeds are the average spot speed for all vehicle types during the 24-hour day, in mph.

A303

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what projections have been made by his Department of traffic volumes on the A303.

Stephen Ladyman: Projections specifically related to the growth of traffic on the A303 in its entirety are not readily available.
	Individual sections of the A303 have been subject to study or are part of the Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements. For each of these studies and schemes, traffic forecasts have been produced and these can be made available from the Highways Agency upon request.

A303

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road traffic  (a) accidents and  (b) fatalities have occurred on the A303 in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of personal injury road traffic accidents and fatalities that have occurred on the A303 in each year since 1997 are as shown on the tables below. The accident data for 2006 is not available at present. Information is not available for accidents where there is no personal injury.
	
		
			  Accidents on the A303 from its junction with the M3 at Popham to the Wiltshire/Hampshire border 
			   Number personal injury accidents (PIA's)  Number of fatalities as a result of accidents 
			 1997 42 0 
			 1998 35 1 
			 1999 39 2 
			 2000 24 0 
			 2001 41 0 
			 2002 45 3 
			 2003 37 2 
			 2004 36 2 
			 2005 37 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Accidents on the A303 between the Hampshire/Wiltshire border (A338 junction) and its junction with the A30 in Devon 
			   Number personal injury accidents (PIA's)  Number of fatalities as a result of accidents 
			 1997 160 5 
			 1998 144 10 
			 1999 148 7 
			 2000 167 6 
			 2001 154 5 
			 2002 164 8 
			 2003 148 3 
			 2004 173 12 
			 2005 139 4 
		
	
	This is the most accurate information that the Highways Agency is able to provide.

A389 Kingskerswell Bypass

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has approved the construction of the A380 Kingskerswell bypass; and what funding has been allocated for the construction of the road.

Gillian Merron: The Department has not received a proposal for this scheme from Devon county council. We are currently considering the advice from the South West region on the priority it attaches to major transport schemes in the South West, including the Kingskerswell Bypass, within the indicative Regional Funding Allocation (RFA) for the region. We hope to announce our response to the region's advice before the parliamentary summer recess. Any schemes identified for funding from the RFAs will be subject to the Department's approval processes.

Aeroplanes (Air Quality)

John Maples: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on contaminated air in airliners;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the effect on safety of contaminated air in airliners.

Gillian Merron: The House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology did an investigation, which reported in November 2000 and said:
	"The absence of confirmed cases of tri-ortho-cresyl phosphate (TOCP) poisoning from cabin air and the very low levels of TOCP that would be found even in the highly unlikely worst case of contamination from oil leaking into the air supply lead us to conclude that the concerns about significant risk to the health of airline passengers and crew are not substantiated."
	There is also a scientific inquiry under way into the global evidence and we have commissioned the independent Committee on Toxicity (COT) based at Imperial College (and funded by Government to advise the Food Standards Agency and other Government Departments) to review evidence from BALPA (the British Air Line Pilots Association).
	The COT secretariat put up on its website on 21 June a draft discussion paper. It will discuss this with BALPA further on 26 June, and then there will be a full hearing, in public, which will take place on 11 July.
	The next step is to wait for the COT review process to be completed. The Government will be guided by the COT conclusions and recommendations on the way forward.

Bus Journeys

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to help local councils and bus companies devise innovative ways of increasing the number of bus journeys, including by providing further Government funding; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: There are already a number of programmes in place that help councils and bus companies devise innovative ways of increasing bus patronage.
	Councils have been able to apply for Kickstart and Rural and Urban Bus Challenge funding to pump-prime bus services that have the potential to increase patronage. DfT awarded £20 million for Kickstart schemes in 2005-06 to fund 43 bus services that could become self-sustaining. Between 1998 and 2003 the Rural and Urban Bus Challenge supported over 400 projects at a cost of £163 million.
	In addition, the Government have provided £350 million for 2006-07 and a further £367.5 million for 2007-08 to fund free off-peak local bus travel for people aged 60 and over and disabled people. This will be extended further to national bus travel from April 2008, for which the Treasury has earmarked up to an additional £250 million per year.
	Also, all bus operators receive Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) which provides a rebate of about 80 per cent. of the duty paid by them on the fuel they use, with 100 per cent. rebate for environmentally friendly fuels. The budget for BSOG in England for 2005-06 was £380 million.
	The Transport Innovation Fund is a new approach to transport investment which is not geared to particular modes, but will support measures which help to tackle congestion and promote national productivity. Up to £200 million of the fund has been made available specifically to support packages of measures that will address congestion in towns and cities through demand management and public transport improvements, including better bus services.

Cloned Number Plates

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many car number plate cloning incidents were recorded in  (a) Bedfordshire and  (b) Luton in the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of vehicles that are, or may have been, subject to vehicle cloning in Bedfordshire or Luton is not known. Nor are national figures available.

Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the letter from the Minister of State of 8 February 2006, reference SL/001336/06, in relation to the Dart Harbour and Navigation Authority, when he expects the undertakings made in the letter to be met; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: We are still considering the issues raised by the hon. Member and his constituent and will be in a position to provide him with a substantive reply very shortly.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many of his staff are  (a) under and  (b) over 55 years of age.

Gillian Merron: In the Department for Transport and its agencies, there are 16,530 staff under the age of 55 and 3,190 over the age of 55.

Disability Access

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any building in his Department falls short of disability access regulations.

Gillian Merron: Audits have been conducted at our buildings to ensure that we are complying with our responsibilities under the employment and service provider provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA). Reasonable adjustments have been made at a number of locations (including our main HQ building) and further improvement work is in hand at some sites.
	Information on the extent to which each building is complying with the employment and service provider provisions of the DDA is not collected centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Driver Licensing and Information

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of the Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989; what recent representations he has received about the operation of this Act; and whether he plans to amend this Act.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 10 May 2006,  Official Report, column 274W. We have no plans to amend this Act.

Driver Licensing and Information

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many replacement  (a) full and  (b) provisional driving licences were issued in each year since 1996.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of replacements issued in each year were:
	
		
			  Calendar year  Number of replacements 
			 1996 2,905,330 
			 1997 3,086,312 
			 1998 2,948,074 
			 1999 2,595,176 
			 2000 3,154,492 
			 2001 3,354,906 
			 2002 3,318,851 
			 2003 3,017,582 
			 2004 3,033,652 
			 2005 2,737,448 
		
	
	The breakdown of these figures into full and provisional licences is not available.

Flag Flying

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  on how many days since May 1997 the St. George's flag has been flown from his Department's buildings;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on flying the  (a) St. George's flag and  (b) EU flag from departmental buildings.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issues the guidance for flying flags on Government buildings. This includes flying the St. George's flag on St. George's day (23 April) and the European flag on Europe day (9 May) on buildings with two or more flag poles provided they are flown alongside the Union flag with the Union flag in the superior position.
	The Department's main HQ building has only one usable and accessible flag pole and therefore does not fly the St. George's flag or the European flag.

Local Transport (West Sussex)

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been made available to West Sussex county council in local transport plan funding for each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: The table shows the funding allocated to West Sussex county council in the local transport capital settlements between 1997-98 and 2005-06. Not included in the table is an additional amount of approximately £14.5 million which we have provided to West Sussex county council between 2001 and 2005 for major local public transport schemes.
	The integrated transport block allocations are available for local authorities to use on road and public transport improvements, according to their local priorities.
	
		
			  West Sussex county council nature of funding 
			  £000 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Maintenance — — — 2,320 6,389 6,813 8,517 9,368 7,648 
			 Integrated Transport block — — — 2,031 4,900 5,417 5,825 7,157 6,878 
			 Total allocation(1) 2,462 2,354 2,836 4,351 11,713 12,230 14,342 16,525 14,526 
			 (1) For 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000, no figures are given for the integrated transport block and highways capital maintenance as there were different funding streams operating then. Total figures are shown.

London Underground (Victoria Line)

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Health and Safety Executive investigated the safety implications of the incident on the Victoria Line on the evenings of 29 and 30 May 2006 between Highbury and Finsbury Park; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) is the independent health and safety regulator for the railways, covering the safety of the travelling public and employees. HMRI was transferred from the Health and Safety Executive to the Office of Rail Regulation on 1 April 2006.
	The incident occurred when a northbound Victoria Line train was held in the tunnel between Highbury and Islington and Finsbury Park stations at around 00.30 am on Tuesday 30 May. This was the penultimate passenger service of the day. The problem required the traction current to be switched off and when repairs were completed normal passenger services had ceased and engineering hours started on the line. Delays then occurred as due to safety procedures the current could not be switched back on to move the train until it was confirmed that no workers were on the line. Eventually passengers were taken off the train and walked back to Highbury and Islington station before 03.00 am.
	HMRI and London Underground Ltd. (LUL) have both investigated this incident. LUL have now modified their procedures and decision-making processes, particularly for incidents within one hour of engineering hours. This should ensure that protracted delays in detraining passengers do not occur in the future. HMRI will continue to monitor the effectiveness of these and other procedures which relate to the evacuation of passengers from trains.

Modal Shift (North Northamptonshire)

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to achieve modal shift in North Northamptonshire.

Gillian Merron: A key element of the Milton Keynes Sub Regional Strategy is to encourage a shift towards more sustainable modes of travel.
	Specific funding has already been made available from the Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly ODPM) to support public transport schemes serving the North Northamptonshire area, including Growth Area Funding (GAF) of £4.4 million to improve services and infrastructure on the X4 bus route connecting Corby, Kettering, Oundle and Wellingborough, with wider links to Northampton, Milton Keynes and Peterborough.
	GAF funding has also been provided to examine key issues in North Northamptonshire and this has helped identify current movement trends in the area. Northamptonshire county council has commissioned a series of transportation studies to inform the development of a specific Transport Strategy for Growth, which will address issues of modal shift across the wider area.
	Northamptonshire's second Local Transport Plan also seeks to encourage modal shift through the implementation of specific strategies and programmes related to bus patronage, walking and cycling, travel planning and accessibility. Developer contributions on public transport infrastructure and service provision are also highlighted as a potential major contributor in this area.
	The potential for extra rail services to the area is also being considered under the new East Midlands rail franchise specification consultation, which was launched on 8 June.

Railways, North-West

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the likely impact of the SLC2 base level specification set out in the Cross Country Rail Franchise Consultation document of June on levels of rail usage in the North West.

Derek Twigg: The changes proposed in service level commitment 2 are designed to allow longer trains to be operated on the busiest Cross Country routes. The changes also propose a new hourly service from Manchester to Bristol, which will benefit a large number of rail passengers.
	The service between Scotland and Birmingham via the West Coast Main Line will continue to operate at the same frequency but with faster journey times and at regular intervals with better connections. I expect this will lead to increased levels of rail usage.

Road Accidents

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) road accident fatalities and  (b) personal injury road accidents there were in (i) Bury St. Edmunds constituency and (ii) Suffolk in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of personal injury road accidents reported to the police, and the resulting fatalities, in the constituency of Bury St. Edmunds and the county of Suffolk from 1997 to 2004 (the latest year for which figures are available) are given in the table.
	
		
			  Accidents and Fatalities in Bury St. Edmunds constituency and Suffolk, 1997-2004 
			   Fatalities  Accidents 
			   Bury St. Edmunds  Suffolk  Bury St. Edmunds  Suffolk 
			 1997 8 43 332 2,224 
			 1998 3 23 326 2,251 
			 1999 8 48 285 2,298 
			 2000 10 56 352 2,312 
			 2001 6 53 321 2,356 
			 2002 7 43 299 2,300 
			 2003 8 60 333 2,341 
			 2004 5 42 301 2,220 
			 (1) The accidents in the table are those that occurred in the 2004 boundaries for Bury St. Edmunds constituency.

Seat Belts

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which bodies have  (a) made representations to the Government and  (b) are known by his Department to be (i) in favour of and (ii) opposed to the compulsory wearing of seat belts; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Seat belt wearing has been compulsory since 1983. No representations to the Government on road safety in recent years have opposed this fundamental requirement. Information on those who specifically support the requirement is not recorded.

Traffic Growth (Peterborough)

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions about traffic growth up to 2021 are being used by his Department in discussions with the growth areas directorate in the Department for Communities and Local Government on housing expansion in the Peterborough Unitary authority area.

Gillian Merron: The East of England Spatial Strategy, which has recently been subject to examination in public following a period of consultation, will provide the overall framework for assessing and planning housing and other growth across the East of England region including Peterborough up to 2021. In that context it is for the local authority to develop detailed forecasts of traffic growth and reflect this in their local transport plans and local delivery frameworks.

WORK AND PENSIONS

A New Deal for Welfare

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the basis was for the Government's calculation in the Green Paper. "A new deal for welfare" that reaching an 80 per cent. employment rate would require getting one million people off incapacity benefit and one million more people over 50 years and 300,000 lone parents into work.

Jim Murphy: As we set out in the Department's Five Year Strategy and in the Green Paper "A new deal for welfare: empowering people to work", we have a long-term aim of reaching employment equivalent to 80 per cent. of the working age population. In order to achieve this we will reduce by one million the number on incapacity benefits, help 300,000 lone parents into work and increase by one million the number of older workers.
	Because 80 per cent. employment is relative to the size of the future population, the total required increase in employment is dependent on population projections, which are revised regularly. Using the latest Government Actuary Department projections, employment would now need to increase by more than 2.5 million in order to achieve 80 per cent. in the long term. This is because the Government Actuary Department has increased their projection of the "working age" population.
	We are currently considering the implications of this population change. However, our long-term aim of 80 per cent. employment is unaffected, and the commitments in the Green Paper to reduce by one million the number on incapacity benefits, help 300,000 lone parents into work and increase by one million the number of older workers will still be delivered.

Benefit Fraud

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the scale of identity fraud in relation to social security benefits; how many of his Department's staff have been involved in identity fraud since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: DWP estimates £20 million to £50 million of benefit fraud arises as a result of identity fraud (that is, claiming benefit in false identities).
	The information requested on the number of staff involved specifically in identity fraud is not available.

Benefit Fraud

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total budget for the Benefit Fraud Hotline was for each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: The National Benefit Fraud Hotline is very cost effective—last year it cost nearly £1 million to run but identified £21.4 million in recoverable overpayments.
	Information is not available prior to 2001-02. The available information is in the table.
	
		
			  National Benefit Fraud Hotline budget allocation 
			   £ 
			 2001-02 1,086,000 
			 2002-03 959,277 
			 2003-04 957,977 
			 2004-05 1,192,843 
			 2005-06 986,000 
			  Notes: 1. Figures include goods, services and staffing costs. 2. The National Benefit Fraud Hotline (NBFH) commenced in August 1996. Information around budget allocation is available only from year ending 2001-02. Prior to this NBFH was the responsibility of the former DSS Benefits Agency Security Branch and figures on funding and budget costs are no longer available. 3. The operational costs of administering the National Benefit Fraud Hotline include the costs of administering the report-a-cheat-online service. These costs cannot be separated.  Source: National Intelligence Unit and Resource Management and IT.

Benefit Overpayments

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on reducing benefit overpayments due to  (a) fraud,  (b) customer error and  (c) official error in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how much his Department and its predecessor spent on reducing benefit overpayments due to  (a) fraud,  (b) customer error and  (c) official error in each year since 1997.

James Plaskitt: It is not possible to separate the total cost of the fraud and error reduction elements of the Department's work.
	The Department's overall aim is to have a benefit system which is accurate from first claim to final payment. This means that safeguarding the benefit system from loss due to fraud and error is integral to the work of staff involved in general benefits administration, as well as those working specifically on fraud and error.

Benefit Overpayments

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the level of fraud and error in percentage terms for  (a) child benefit,  (b) income support,  (c) incapacity benefit,  (d) disability living allowance,  (e) jobseeker's allowance,  (f) housing benefit,  (g) pension credit and  (h) council tax benefit.

James Plaskitt: The most recent available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Estimates of overpayments as a percentage of benefit expenditure 
			   Percentage 
			 Income support 5.3 
			 Incapacity benefit 1.2 
			 Disability living allowance 9.1 
			 Jobseeker's allowance 6.0 
			 Housing benefit 5.2 
			 Pension credit 4.6 
			 Council tax benefit 4.9 
			  Notes: 1. All figures are overpayments expressed as a proportion of expenditure for that benefit and are rounded to the nearest 0.1 per cent. They are based on sampling exercises and so are subject to sampling and other uncertainties. Sampling uncertainty is expressed in the form of confidence intervals; these have not been provided in these tables. 2. Income support, jobseeker's allowance and pension credit figures come from the National Statistics report "Fraud and error in Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance and Pension Credit from April 2004 to March 2005: Full report", published more recently than the 2004-05 DWP Resource Account. 3. Disability living allowance fraud and error figures come from the National Statistics report "Fraud, error and other incorrectness in Disability Living Allowance" covering the period 2004-05. The 'customer error' overpayment figure includes around £580 million (7.9 per cent. of DLA expenditure) which was removed when reported in the Departmental Resource Account. These were cases where the change in customer's needs may have been so gradual that it would be unreasonable to expect them to know at which point their entitlement to DLA might have changed. These cases do not result in a recoverable overpayment as we cannot quantify or define when the customer's change occurred. Because legislation requires the Secretary of State to prove that entitlement to DLA is incorrect, rather than requiring the customer to inform us that their needs have changed, cases in this subcategory are legally correct. 4. Incapacity benefit estimates from the 2004-05 DWP Resource Account. Fraud and customer error estimates from April 2000 to March 2001, official error from April 2003 to March 2004. 5. Housing benefit estimates from the National Statistics report "Fraud and Error in Housing Benefit April 2002 to March 2005". They are made up of reviews of around 85 per cent. of HB expenditure (used for measuring performance against the relevant PSA target to reduce fraud and error in HB) combined with more approximate estimates of error in the remaining 15 per cent. of expenditure. For further details on this, please see the relevant National Statistics reports. 6. Council tax benefit estimates from the 2004-05 DWP Resource Account. Council tax benefit has not been measured by the Department and was assumed to have the same levels of fraud and error as the latest housing benefit estimates available at the time (October 2003 to September 2004). 7. Child benefit is administered by HM Revenue and Customs and is a matter for HM Treasury.

Benefit Recipients

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many workers from the EU accession countries are claiming  (a) jobseeker's allowance,  (b) housing benefit and  (c) other benefits in the UK.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on 8 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1548W.

Benefit Recipients

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents in  (a) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and  (b) Lewisham borough receive housing benefit.

James Plaskitt: As at November 2005, there were 29,280 households in the London borough of Lewisham in receipt of housing benefit.
	Information is not available broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Benefit Recipients

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many residents in  (a) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and  (b) Lewisham borough receive jobseeker's allowance.

James Plaskitt: As at May 2006, there were 3,003 jobseeker's allowance claimants in the Lewisham, Deptford parliamentary constituency and 7,689 jobseeker's allowance claimants in the London borough of Lewisham.

Benefit Recipients

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of each of his Department's means-tested benefits in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Income support (IS) and IS minimum income guarantee (MIG) caseloads: Great Britain each November 1997 to 2005 
			  November  All IS  MIG  Non-MIG 
			 1997 3,956,100 1,673,700 2,282,400 
			 1998 3,842,000 1,614,500 2,227,500 
			 1999 3,843,900 1,591,300 2,252,600 
			 2000 3,928,900 1,669,800 2,259,200 
			 2001 3,985,500 1,727,000 2,258,500 
			 2002 3,994,800 1,750,500 2,244,300 
			 2003 2,232,800 13,000 2,219,800 
			 2004 2,177,900 10,800 2,167,100 
			 2005 2,136,700 9,600 2,127,100 
		
	
	
		
			  Pension credit caseloads: Great Britain each November 2003 to 2005 
			  November  Number 
			 2003 2,084,700 
			 2004 2,629,580 
			 2005 2,708,050 
		
	
	
		
			  Income based jobseeker's allowance (JSA(IB)) caseloads: Great Britain each November 1997 to 2005 
			  November  Number 
			 1997 1,041,300 
			 1998 951,200 
			 1999 856,300 
			 2000 743,400 
			 2001 663,500 
			 2002 635,300 
			 2003 599,300 
			 2004 565,700 
			 2005 647,900 
		
	
	
		
			  Housing benefit (HB) and council tax benefit (CTB) caseloads: Great Britain each November 1997 to 2005 
			  November  HB  CTB 
			 1997 4,546,650 5,393,820 
			 1998 4,382,390 5,221,710 
			 1999 4,147,870 4,959,480 
			 2000 3,900,620 4,674,580 
			 2001 3,818,400 4,608,390 
			 2002 3,796,260 4,577,690 
			 2003 3,806,590 4,666,910 
			 2004 3,943,900 4,897,500 
			 2005 3,975,230 4,993,000 
			  Notes: 1. PC/HB/CTB figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. IS/JSA(IB) figures are rounded to the nearest 100. 3. HB/CTB figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated. 4. HB figures exclude any extended payment cases. 5. CTB figures exclude any second adult rebate cases. 6. JSA(IB) figures and IS figures for November 1997 and 1998 are derived by applying 5 per cent. proportions to 100 per cent. WPLS data and are therefore subject to sampling variation. 7. Some JSA(IB) claimants may also have entitlement to benefit via the contributory route. 8. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 9. Pension credit replaced MIG on 6 October 2003 10. Overlaps between benefits have not been removed.  Source: DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS); Information Directorate 5 per cent. samples; and Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in November 1997 to November 2005.

Child Support Agency

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of administering child support payments under  (a) the old system and  (b) the current system in the last period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Stephen Geraghty. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Hilary Reynolds:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently out of the country, I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost was of administering child support payments under (a) the old system and (b) the current system in the last period for which figures are available.
	The Child Support Agency is funded to administer child support applications and payments regardless of whether the assessment is based on old scheme or new scheme rules or systems. The actual costs of administering child support under each system are not separately identified and as such we cannot supply information to the level of detail required.
	The cost of administering the Child Support Agency in 2004/05 was £325.6m. Figures for 2005/06 will be available when the Annual Report and Accounts is published. A change in accounting policy proposed by the Department for Work and Pensions, and confirmed by National Audit Office, will lead to a restatement of 2004/05 expenditure reported in the Agency's annual accounts. This reflects the incorporation of costs associated with the modernisation programme in the accounts of individual Agencies rather than charging such costs directly to the central Departmental Resource Account. It is expected that the restated 2004-05 figure will increase expenditure to around £425m. Costs for 2005/06 will be prepared on the same basis.
	I hope you find this helpful.

Child Support Agency

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many non-compliant absent parents for child support purposes are  (a) employed,  (b) self-employed and  (c) work abroad; and what percentage those employed are of the total number of non-compliant absent parents.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many non-compliant absent parents for child support purposes are (a) employed (b) self-employed and (c) work abroad; and what percentage those employed are of the total number of non-compliant absent parents.
	The Agency records information in terms of cases rather parents. My answer is therefore provided on this basis.
	At the end of March 2006, there were 127,000 cases involving non-resident parents who were non-compliant. Of these:
	77,000 cases involved non-resident parents who were employed. This represents 61 per cent. of all non-compliant cases.
	13,000 cases involved non-resident parents who were self-employed. This represents around 10 per cent. of all non-compliant cases.
	This information reflects the status of the non-resident parent currently held on the system as at the last intervention by the Agency and will not reflect changes in circumstances that the Agency has not yet been informed of, or are currently being processed.
	Non-resident parents who live abroad generally do not have any ongoing liability for child maintenance. However, the 127,000 cases which involve non-compliant non-resident parents do include:
	Cases where non-resident parents accrued arrears for a maintenance liability, before permanently moving out of the UK.
	Cases where non-resident parents live abroad but work for a UK- based employer, e.g. a member of HM Diplomatic Service or HM Armed Forces, although whether or not a non-resident parent in this situation will have an ongoing liability is dependent on their particular circumstances.
	However, we are unable to specify the volumes of non-compliant cases in either of these circumstances.
	I hope you find this helpful.

Child Support Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the total pensions liability in respect of the 20 most highly paid civil servants at the Child Support Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: A technical note by HM Treasury was placed in the Library of the House following an oral statement in Parliament by the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury, on 2 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 388-90. This note is a full statement about these liabilities and provides detailed information about the size and nature of the liabilities and how they are calculated.
	Pension liabilities are not estimated for individual departments, they are estimated for individual pension schemes, as shown in the breakdown of liabilities per pension scheme given in Table 1 of the technical note.

Child Support Agency

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many single parents receive the £5 deduction which claimants on benefit have to make towards Child Support Agency maintenance payments;
	(2)  how many people on benefit are liable for Child Support Agency maintenance payments; and how many have automatic deductions made against them.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 19 June 2006
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to my right hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Hilary Reynolds:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently out of the country, I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many single parents receive the £5 deduction which claimants on benefit have to make towards Child Support Agency maintenance payments.
	You also asked how many people on benefit are liable for Child Support Agency maintenance payments; and how many of this number have automatic deductions made against them.
	The Agency records information in terms of cases rather than parents. Additionally the £5 deduction from benefit only applies to the new scheme. My answer is therefore provided on this basis.
	In order to obtain the benefit status of non-resident parents associated with new scheme cases, it has been necessary to match data from the Agency's administrative systems with data from the benefits system administered by Jobcentre Plus. The latter set of administrative data is published quarterly, and the latest information available is for November 2005.
	At the end of November 2005, there were 70,000 new scheme cases involving a non-resident parent (NRP) in receipt of Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Incapacity Benefit with a positive maintenance liability. Of these, 54,000 had a deduction for benefit as the specified method of collection.
	The number of new scheme cases with a deduction from benefit that at the Agency was collecting maintenance from was 26,000,
	It should be noted that although a case can have a liability to pay the £5 deduction from benefit, the full amount may be owed to more than one parent with care. In this case the liable amount will be divided between the cases for which the non-resident parent has a liability.
	It should also be noted that there are also a small number of NRPs (the number of which cannot be quantified) who receive other benefits against which the Agency has a claim; namely—Retirement Pension, Pension Credit, Bereavement Allowance, Widowed Parents Allowance/Pension, Incapacity Benefit, Carer's Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Maternity Allowance, War Disablement or War Widows Pension, also certain training allowances. However, it is not possible to provide information on these cases.
	I hope you find this helpful.

Children's Services

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many nursery and crèche places are provided for people working in his Department; what charges are made for the provision of such services; and what other facilities are provided for the children of employees of his Department.

Anne McGuire: Staff in the Department for Work and Pensions have access to 32 holiday playschemes, five supported nurseries/crèches and six on site nurseries. The Department also supports some employees with children through the supply of cash subsidies. Current numbers are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Employees supported by holiday playschemes 369 
			 Employees supported through nursery/crèche places/subsidies 770 
		
	
	The Department spends approximately £1,200,000 on child care provision per year.
	Existing child care provision available across the Department has been developed according to local business need and is managed and funded from local budgets. As a result the Department has a varying range of subsidies and charges in place. Examples of subsidies and charges include £6 per day per child for nurseries, £4 per day per child for Holiday Playshemes, 35 per cent. of the cost of a holiday play scheme place. Pro rata subsidies are in place in a number of local areas for siblings.
	The Department will also shortly be implementing a Childcare Voucher (Salary Sacrifice) Scheme. This will be rolled out with the new payroll system provided by the Resource Management System (RMS) which is scheduled for release in August 2006. This scheme will offer the advantage of supporting parents to make their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their child.

Compensation Bill

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effect of Clause 1 of the Compensation Bill [Lords] on duties under health and safety at work legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Clause 1 of the Compensation Bill, which relates to civil law, will not have an effect on the enforcement in criminal law of the duties set out in the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and its relevant statutory provisions.

Compulsory Work-focused Interviews

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what proportion of those who fail to attend compulsory work-focused interviews have been subject to sanctions;
	(2)  how many incapacity benefit claimants have failed to attend compulsory work-focused interviews; and what proportion this represented of the total number required to attend such interviews.

Jim Murphy: Incapacity customers, lone parents, and partners of benefit recipients are the customer groups subject to compulsory work-focused interviews (WFI) at various times and intervals throughout their claim to benefit.
	The information requested on incapacity benefit claimants is not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	104,545 WFIs have been booked for partners of benefit recipients between April 2004 and February 2006. As at February 2006, 14,621, or 14 per cent. of booked WFIs have been marked as "failed to attend"; of those approximately 4 per cent. have had a sanction applied and 13 per cent. have a sanction outstanding.
	For information on lone parents I refer my right hon. Friend to the written answer my predecessor gave the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) on 28 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 943W.

Contracted-out Rebates

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of Government liabilities in respect of the deemed buy-back of contracted-out rebates.

Edward Balls: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not available. Where individuals opt for deemed buy-back any entitlement to state second pension (S2P) will be paid from the National Insurance Fund when they reach state pension age. Separate estimates for S2P paid under this arrangement cannot be made.

Council Tax Benefit

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the take-up rate of council tax benefit was in  (a) Peterborough constituency and  (b) Peterborough city council area in each year since 1996-97; and how many pensioners (i) were entitled to and (ii) received council tax benefit in each year.

James Plaskitt: Estimates of take-up and entitlement for council tax benefit are not available below national level; the latest available information is in "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take Up in 2003/2004", a copy of which is in the Library.
	Figures for the number of council tax benefit claimants are not available broken down by parliamentary constituency. Figures for pensioners in receipt of council tax benefit are not available prior to 2004. The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Council tax benefit recipients aged 60 and over: Peterborough city council 
			  November  Number of recipients 
			 2004 2,180 
			 2005 2,060 
			  Notes: 1. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Caseloads have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases. 4. 'Aged 60 and over' is defined as benefit units where the claimant and/or partner are aged 60 and over. Therefore figures will contain some claimants aged under 60 where there is a partner aged over 60 years.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in November 2004 and November 2005.

Council Tax Benefit

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the annual outturn for council tax benefit was in each year since 1997; and what the forecasts are for each of the next five years.

James Plaskitt: Forecasts are currently published up to 2007-08. The available information for Great Britain is in the tables; information regarding Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Office.
	
		
			  Council tax benefit expenditure, Great Britain, 1997-98 to 2007-08 (nominal terms) 
			   Amount (£ million) 
			 1997-98(1) 2,395 
			 1998-99(1) 2,452 
			 1999-2000(1) 2,511 
			 2000-01(1) 2,575 
			 2001-02(1) 2,686 
			 2002-03(1) 2,834 
			 2003-04(1) 3,226 
			 2004-05(1) 3,555 
			 2005-06(2) 3,798 
			 2006-07(3) 3,965 
			 2007-08(3) 4,257 
			 (1) Outturn. (2) Estimated outturn. (3) Plans. 
		
	
	
		
			  Council tax benefit expenditure, Great Britain, 1997-98 to 2007-08 (real terms, 2006-07 prices) 
			   Amount (£ million) 
			 1997-98(1) 2,943 
			 1998-99(1) 2,938 
			 1999-2000(1) 2,950 
			 2000-01(1) 2,986 
			 2001-02(1) 3,039 
			 2002-03(1) 3,108 
			 2003-04(1) 3,448 
			 2004-05(1) 3,717 
			 2005-06(2) 3,891 
			 2006-07(3) 3,965 
			 2007-08(3) 4,146 
			 (1) Outturn. (2) Estimated outturn. (3) Plans.  Notes: 1. Figures are on a resource accounting and budgeting basis. 2. Some figures for past years may have changed since previous publications owing to the incorporation of more up-to-date information. 3. Expenditure for 2005-06 reflects the latest benefit-by-benefit estimate of outturn, and not the amounts voted by Parliament. 4. Total amounts paid to beneficiaries, irrespective of the source of funding. Includes benefit spending reimbursed by DWP, spending on rent rebates financed within local authorities' Housing Revenue Accounts, and benefit spending financed from local authorities' general funds. 5. Real terms have been calculated using gross domestic product deflators updated after the Budget report of 22 March 2006.

Departmental Chief Accounting Officer

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) name,  (b) professional and academic qualifications and  (c) relevant experience are of the Chief Accounting Officer of his Department.

Anne McGuire: The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Leigh Lewis (BA, MIPD), is the Principal Accounting Officer of the Department for Work and Pensions. Earlier in his career he was the Finance Director of the then Department for Education and Employment.
	The Accounting Officer is a role that the Permanent Secretary combines with his personal responsibility for the overall organisation, management and staffing of the Department and for Department-wide procedures in financial and other matters. The Accounting Officer is assisted in the discharge of these duties by suitably qualified and experienced senior managers, including the Director General for Finance for the Department, John Codling, who is a Chartered Public Finance Accountant and holds a BA (Hons) degree in Economics.

Employment (Over-50s)

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of people in work aged 50 years and over in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency.

Jim Murphy: Like all other customers, people aged 50 and over can benefit from the range of services provided by Jobcentre Plus, including access to jobs and help and support to find work.
	Additional help is provided to older people who do not find work quickly. New deal 50 plus is a voluntary programme that provides people with advice and guidance from personal advisers, and access to in-work financial help through the 50 plus element of the working tax credit. Since April 2000, the programme has been successful in helping more than 150,000 older workers into employment, including 150 people in Kingston and Surbiton. Once in work, new deal 50 plus customers can claim a training grant of up to £1,500 for training of which up to £300 can be used for life-long learning.
	People aged 50 and over, including those in Kingston and Surbiton, are also eligible for help from new deal 25 plus. People who have been claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) for 18 months, and who have not previously participated on new deal 25 plus, are already required to attend the gateway stage of the new deal 25 plus programme. This is a period of up to four months of intensive job search and specialist help and support to improve job prospects. This is followed by the intensive activity period (IAP) which is currently voluntary for people aged 50 and over. The IAP provides further support and pre-work training to help people return to work.
	Since April 2004, we have been piloting mandatory participation in the new deal 25 plus IAP for people aged 50 to 59 who have been claiming JSA for 18 months. The pilot has offered people in this age group more extensive help back to work. Kingston and Surbiton was not part of the pilot, however, interim pilot data have yielded positive results and, as announced in our Welfare Reform Green Paper, we will be commencing a phased national rollout.
	Between 1979 and the mid 1990s, the number of people on incapacity benefits trebled. Growth in the caseload has since slowed significantly, and in November 2005, there were 2.71 million people claiming incapacity benefits, a fall of 61,000 over the year. Although 46 per cent. of those claiming incapacity benefits are aged between 50 and state pension age, between 2000 and 2005 the number of people in the 50 plus age group fell by 52,000. This has contributed to the overall reduction in the incapacity benefits caseload.
	Like other age groups, people aged 50 or over who are on IB will be able to benefit from the rollout of the successful Pathways to Work service across the whole country which will be completed by 2008, including Kingston and Surbiton. Pathways offers new IB customers early support from skilled personal advisers and direct access to a 'Choices Package' of employment programmes and clear financial incentives to make work pay. Any IB customer will be able to access the support and help available on a voluntary basis.
	Our Age Positive Campaign works with employers and others to promote the business benefits of an age diverse work force and best practice in recruitment, training and promotion. In May 2005 we launched the 'Be Ready' national information campaign to raise employer awareness of, and ability to adopt, flexible employment and retirement opportunities to support the recruitment and retention of older workers in advance of age legislation due in October 2006.

Employment Rates

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the role of area-based activities by his Department in increasing local employment rates.

Jim Murphy: Area-based employment initiatives continue to be important, particularly in our most deprived communities. The Department's priority is to ensure that all initiatives are more effectively targeted at those with the greatest degree of labour market disadvantage. This means that we constantly have to review our programmes and services to ensure that they provide good value for money and continue to meet the needs of our customers. Area-based initiatives such as Action Teams and the Working Neighbourhoods Pilot have, to date, helped over 170,000 people in some of our most deprived communities move into work.
	Many of the practices and ideas developed by Action Teams have been integrated into Jobcentre Plus mainstream programmes and services. Examples include outreach work in local communities and the greater discretionary funding that is available to advisers. We also aim to build on lessons learnt from the recent Working Neighbourhoods Pilot.
	Our successful Pathways to Work pilots have been acknowledged internationally as the best way of helping people on incapacity benefits back into work quickly and many of the pilots are located in areas with high levels of incapacity benefit claims. Much of the success of Pathways is directly attributable to the partnership approach at the local level with strong advocacy from local partners, access to a wide range of specialist expertise, and a unified complementary approach. It is this partnership approach that we are extending further with our Cities Strategy. Private and voluntary sector providers currently deliver and support a number of different programmes within our Pathways to Work pilots. We will shortly be announcing the future roll-out of Pathways.
	Our future strategy will build on the success of Action Teams, and other community-based initiatives; including the introduction of a Deprived Areas Fund (DAF) from October 2006, which will provide Jobcentre Plus with the flexibility to decide how funding could add value locally against a continued central objective of increasing the employment rate in the local areas. This fund will enable districts to target resources where they are most needed. Funding will be allocated at a district level, to enable Jobcentre Plus District Managers to exercise greater discretion over how the funding should be utilised in their area. DMs will use their knowledge of the local labour market, coupled with evidence of 'what works' to support the needs of local residents.
	Partnership working with local government is especially important to DWP in promoting the economic vitality of localities. Local area agreements (LAAs) have been devised to provide a common and simple framework that leads to central Government, local authorities and partners agreeing local outcomes.
	On 16 March 2005 the Chancellor announced the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI). Its purpose is to release the economic and productivity potential of the most deprived local areas through enterprise and investment—thereby boosting local incomes and employment opportunities and building sustainable communities. The proposed fund will distribute up to £50 million per year for 2006-07 rising to £150 million by 2008-09, and will be distributed through local area agreements (LAA).
	As proposed in the Green Paper, the creation of 'Cities' pathfinders from 2007 will be charged with increasing employment and reducing social exclusion in our most deprived communities. In these areas, a consortium of local partners will be invited to join up and plan the delivery of their individual efforts and resources, with a strong focus on outcomes combined with greater opportunity for local flexibility and innovation. This approach will provide a real focus for local efforts to help people move back into work, so that the current patchwork of programmes and support, provided by a number of organisations, can be delivered in a more integrated, individually-focused and locally responsive way.
	The Deprived Areas Fund, along with our strategy for 'Cities' and local area agreements will play a significant role in increasing local employment rates; ensuring those most disadvantaged in the labour market can receive the help and guidance they deserve.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures the Department is putting in place to speed up payments to those eligible under the Financial Assistance Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: In response to discussions with the pension scheme trustees responsible for applying to the Financial Assistance Scheme, we have simplified the information we need from schemes and clarified our guidance on the member data we require. We have also held meetings with over 75 per cent. of schemes with members potentially eligible for initial payments to ensure they understand what information is required and when.
	Following these improvements to communications with trustees, over the last month the number of schemes applying for initial payments has increased to 146 and the number of members being paid initial payments has increased to 95, with an additional four members being paid annual payments.
	On 6 June we announced a review of the administration of the Financial Assistance Scheme, which will look at what we need to do to provide the best administration and management support to ensure all eligible people receive payments as quickly as possible.

Foreign Travel

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on foreign travel by his Department in each of the last eight years.

Anne McGuire: The departmental spend on foreign travel for the year 2004 was £747,013.53. The spend for 2005 was £954,648.56.
	We are unable to provide factual information for previous years due to disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate has been made of the percentage of housing benefit claimants renting from private landlords who had benefit shortfalls in the county borough of Bridgend in each year from 1997-98 to 2005-06.

James Plaskitt: Information is not available broken down below national level in Wales. The available information for Wales is in the table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit (HB) private tenants( 1)  whose weekly amount of HB is less than their weekly eligible rent: Wales, May 1997 to May 2004 
			  As at May each year  All HB private tenants  HB private tenants who have weekly amount HB less than their weekly eligible rent  Percentage HB private tenants who have weekly amount HB less than their weekly eligible rent 
			 1997 57,000 12,000 21.7 
			 1998 53,000 13,000 25.4 
			 1999 51,000 12,000 23.7 
			 2000 48,000 10,000 20.3 
			 2001 46,000 10,000 20.8 
			 2002 45,000 9,000 20.9 
			 2003 44,000 8,000 18.0 
			 2004 44 ,000 9,000 20.1 
			 (1) Private tenants exclude registered social landlords.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and percentages to one decimal place. 2. HB figures exclude any extended payment cases. 3. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System. Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 1997 to May 2004.

Housing Benefit

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider Hartlepool borough council as one of the planned pilots for the housing benefit sanction proposals announced on 5 June.

James Plaskitt: We are currently consulting stakeholders on the detail of the proposal, and will be investigating pilot sites later this year. Hartlepool will be considered as a possible pilot site as part of this process.

Housing Benefit

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on housing benefit for tenants in  (a) council property,  (b) housing association property,  (c) registered social landlord property and  (d) private sector housing in Houghton and Washington, East constituency in each of the last three years.

James Plaskitt: Information is not available broken down by constituency. Information cannot be broken down by landlord type other than by council or private tenancies. The latter includes housing associations and registered social landlords. The available information for Sunderland city council is in the table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit expenditure in Sunderland city council 
			  £ 
			   Expenditure in council property  Expenditure in all private property  All housing benefit expenditure 
			 2002-03 3,785,000 74,971,000 78,756,000 
			 2003-04 1,097,000 73,813,000 74,910,000 
			 2004-05 896,000 74,561,000 75,457,000 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest £000. 2. There are issues still to be resolved in the 2004-05 claim and therefore the figures for this year are subject to change.  Source: Audited subsidy claims submitted by local authority.

Housing Benefit

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what percentage of one parent households received housing benefit in 2005-06;
	(2)  what percentage of one parent households received council tax benefit in 2005-06.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Housing benefit and council tax benefit recipients who are lone parents: Great Britain, May 2004 
			   Lone parents in receipt of HB/CTB  Percentage of lone parents in receipt of HB/CTB( 1) 
			 Housing benefit (HB) 866,000 55.8 
			 Council tax benefit (CTB) 883,000 56.9 
			 (1) Figures are given as a percentage of the lone parent population.  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and percentages to one decimal place. 2. Housing benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. 3. Council tax benefit totals exclude any second adult rebate cases.  Source: Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System. Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2004. General Register Office (GRO) for Scotland/Office for National Statistics (ONS) lone parent population estimates based on the 2001 census.

Incapacity Benefit

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the change in the number of incapacity benefit customers moving into work in the pathways to work pilot areas.

Anne McGuire: Our successful pathways to work pilots have been acknowledged internationally as the best way of helping people on incapacity benefits back into work quickly. There have been 21,400 job entries in pathways to work areas, including over 3,360 from voluntary customers. The number of recorded job entries for people with a health condition or disability has almost doubled since before pathways started.
	The specific information requested is not available.
	Information on Jobcentre Plus Job Entry Target (JET) job entries is in the table.
	
		
			  Jobcentre Plus Job Entry Target (JET) job entries in the 12 months prior to, and in the 12 months after, the roll-out of Pathways 
			   12 months prior to Pathways roll-out  12 months after Pathways rollout  Percentage change 
			 Pathways Phase 1 areas(1) 2,950 5,460 85 
			 Pathways Phase 2 areas(2) 3,680 5,290 44 
			 (1) The first phase of the Pathways to Work Pilots commenced on 27 October 2003 in Bridgend Rhondda Cynon and Taf, Derbyshire and Renfrewshire Inverclyde Argyll and Bute. (2 )The second phase of the Pathways to Work Pilots commenced on 5 April 2004 in Essex, Gateshead and South Tyneside, Lancashire East and Somerset.  Notes 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Jobcentre Plus JET data does not account for all job entries that occur when somebody leaves Incapacity Benefit, the JET jobs are only jobs that occur following a significant intervention from JCP (such as a job submission or the award of a financial incentive).

Incapacity Benefit

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals are claiming  (a) short-term and  (b) long-term incapacity benefit in (i) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and (ii) Lewisham borough.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance (SDA) claimants in London borough of Lewisham and Lewisham, Deptford parliamentary constituency, November 2005 
			   London borough of Lewisham  Lewisham, Deptford constituency 
			 All IB/SDA 12,130 4,330 
			 IB short-term (lower) 300 90 
			 IB short- term (higher) 310 90 
			 IB long-term 4,080 1,380 
			 IB credits 6,360 2,390 
			 SDA 1,080 380 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. 'Claimant' figures include all incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance, including incapacity benefit credits only cases.  Source: DWP Information Directorate, Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

Industrial Relations

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the state of industrial relations with staff of his Department and its agencies.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) seeks an effective and constructive engagement with its three recognised trade unions. We provide allowances of 0.2 per cent. over staffing costs (equating to around £5.5 million of public money) to fund the cost of employee trade union representatives, in order to ensure proper engagement. Recent evidence of constructive consultative relationships include: a three-year pay deal negotiated and agreed with the unions; a "seeking to avoid compulsory redundancies" agreement signed in November 2004 which has the confidence of all parties and has enabled us to make significant staffing reductions without dispute; and a re-launch of our attendance management policy in July 2005 with a joint statement with the unions.
	The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) is currently in dispute with DWP over our efficiency programme. This is a matter of regret to the Department but talks are currently in progress to seek to resolve this dispute.

Job Vacancies (Hartlepool)

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many job vacancies were listed at Jobcentre Plus in Hartlepool constituency in each year since 1997.

Jim Murphy: Information on Jobcentre Plus vacancy data at parliamentary constituency level is only available from April 2004 and is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Hartlepool Parliamentary Constituency 
			  Period  Vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus  Average number of 'live' unfilled vacancies on any given day 
			 2004 (from April) 5,040 860 
			 2005 5,080 1,120 
			  Source:  Jobcentre Plus Labour Market System

Jobcentre Plus

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many telephone calls to the Jobcentre Plus 0845 603 6347 telephone number were received each month from April 2005 to April 2006;
	(2)  whether there has been an unusually heavy demand placed upon the Jobcentre Plus 0845 603 6347 telephone number in recent months; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what alternative contact points can provide assistance regarding benefits claimed by an individual who cannot get through to the Jobcentre Plus 0845 603 6347 telephone number;
	(4)  what recent estimate his Department has made of the proportion of callers to Jobcentre Plus on 0845 603 6347 who encounter the engaged dial tone.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. She will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions asking about the use of the 0845 603 6347 telephone number. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Since 17 April 2006, we have been piloting the handling of claims and enquiries from customers in central London by our Glasgow Benefit Delivery Centre (BDC). Customers can contact the Glasgow BDC using the 0845 603 6347 telephone number. The number was not in use before 17 April. As part of this pilot we are paying particular attention to customer service issues, and local managers are reviewing the resources currently deployed handling telephone calls. A full evaluation of the pilot is planned for September and therefore at this early stage the information you have requested is not available.
	Customers experiencing difficulties getting through on the 0845 603 6347 number can still access our services in person at Central London Jobcentres.
	Customers in the Leicester area are not included in this pilot.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus

John Grogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of how Jobcentre Plus in Yorkshire and the Humber measured against their performance indicators in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2004-05.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 18 May 2006
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide my hon. Friend with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what assessment he has made of how Jobcentre Plus in Yorkshire and the Humber Region measured against their performance indicators in 2005-06 and 2004-05. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The targets and achievements for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are listed in the table. The Yorkshire and Humber Region achieved all its targets in 2004/2005 and 4 out of 5 in 2005/2006. The Region as a whole did not meet its job entry target in 2005/06 but has maintained the number of Priority Group One customers (lone parents/sick and disabled people) moving into work. However, I should add that the job entry target for Selby and North Yorkshire District for 2005/2006 was exceeded.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			   Target  Achieved  Target  Achieved 
			 Job Entries 627,249 682,447 (+8.8 per cent.) 591,918 534,502 (-9.7 per cent.) 
			 Business Delivery Target (percentage) 90 92.8 (+2.8 percentage pts) 90.4 92 (+1.6 percentage pts) 
			 Employer Outcome (percentage) 84.2 85.6 (+1.4 percentage pts) 84.1 87.7 (+3.6 percentage pts) 
			 Customer Service (percentage) 81.6 84.5 (+2.9 percentage pts) 81.2 82.4 (+1.2 percentage pts) 
			 Monetary Value, Fraud and Error (percentage) 6.1 7.5 (+1.4 percentage pts) 6.1 7.5 (+1.4 percentage pts) 
		
	
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what total headcount reductions in Jobcentre Plus staff are expected as a result of the Efficiencies Savings Programme, broken down by job title; how many personal advisers there are; and how many personal advisers there were when the agency was established.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 13 June 2006
	The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what total headcount reductions in Jobcentre Plus staff are expected as a result of the Efficiencies Savings Programme, broken down by Job Title; how many personal advisers there are; and how many personal advisers there were when the agency was established. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The efficiency challenge is measured against the baseline position at 1 March 2004. The table below shows the position at 1 March 2004 and the planned position at 31 March 2008. Figures are Full Time Equivalent (FTE) and comply with the Office of National Statistics definitions.
	
		
			   Total (FTE) 
			 31 March 2008 (Headcount) 65,637 
			 31 March 2008 (Reductions) 16,430 
			 1 March 2004 (Headcount) 82,067 
		
	
	Information on reductions broken down by job title is not available.
	The earliest data we hold on the number of Personal Advisors working in Jobcentre Plus are for April 2003. The table below shows the number of Personal Advisers at April 2003, and at March 2006. This is the latest information available.
	
		
			   Total personal advisers (FTE) 
			 April 2003 9,842 
			 As a percentage of all staff in April 2003 11.9 
			   
			 March 2006 10,423 
			 As a percentage of all staff in March 2006 14.6 
		
	
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobcentre Plus

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the number of people who successfully secured a job directly through using the Job Centre Plus website in each year since its creation.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking if he will estimate the number of people who have successfully secured a job directly through using the Job Centre Plus website in each year since its creation. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk is our Internet service for jobseekers and is currently the United Kingdom's number one recruitment site. The website provides job hunting advice, information on programmes, such as New Deal, and allows users to search our extensive database of some 400,000 vacancies.
	The website provides a self-service job search facility that does not require users to register personal details. Therefore, whilst we know how many visits the website receives, information on the number of people who have found jobs using the website is not available.
	In 2004, the Jobcentre Plus website received 27,219,880 visits (this figure excludes figures for August because of a problem with the statistics package). This increased to 41,325,452 the following year (2005). The number of visits in the 5 months between 1 January and 31 May 2006 stands at 30,484,516. Figures are not available for 2001-03.
	I hope this is helpful.

Jobseekers Allowance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the main causes for delay in applications for Jobseeker's Allowance were in the last month for which information is available; how many delays fell into each main category; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 26 June 2006:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what the main causes for delay in applications for Jobseeker's Allowance were in the last month for which information is available; how many delays fell into each main category; and if he will make a statement. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus is transforming the service it provides by making it available via the telephone, via the internet and through the personal service offered to people in Jobcentre Plus offices. We are also committed to implementing a major efficiency programme to deliver headcount savings.
	The precise nature and extent of the issues which can cause delay varies between locations and stage of roll-out, and as some of these issues are inter-related and overlap, it is not possible to provide the specific information requested. However, we have put action in hand to address the delays, including the launch of a National Action Plan on 30 January. Senior operational managers provided a formal assurance at the end of February that they were complying with all elements of the National Action Plan.
	We have also undertaken the considerable task of moving a large number of staff into new posts in our contact centres, and delivering the training necessary to operate the new processes.
	The chief operating officer is monitoring performance very closely and is addressing performance variations in benefit clearance times in specific locations and the actions required to clear backlogs. It should be acknowledged that concentrating on backlogs of work may initially cause average clearance times to rise. In order to focus management attention on this issue, the actual average clearance times measure of 12 days for Jobseeker's Allowance claims, has been added to the suite of Jobcentre Plus Targets for 2006-07
	I hope this is helpful

Liability Orders

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many liability orders under Section 33 of the Child Support Act 1991 and Child Support Regulations 1992 have been sought  (a) in the UK,  (b) within Hertfordshire and  (c) within St. Albans in each year since 1995; and how many of these were successful.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Hilary Reynolds, dated 26 June 2006:
	In reply to your recent parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently out of the country, I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many liability orders under Section 33 of the Child Support Act 1991 and Child Support Regulations 1992 have been sought (a) in the UK (b) within Hertfordshire and (c) within St. Albans in each year since 1995; and how many of these were successful.
	Information about the total number of liability order applications and those successfully granted is only available from the period since March 1998. Due to the format in which this information is gathered it is not possible to provide details at the requested county or town level. Therefore information has only been provided at UK level.
	
		
			   Liability orders applied for  Liability orders granted 
			 1998-99 3968 2033 
			 1999-2000 4207 2532 
			 2000-01 3584 1755 
			 2001-02 3166 1427 
			 2002-03 5540 2383 
			 2003-04 6719 3885 
			 2004-05 7773 7247 
			 2005-06 11926 10273 
		
	
	During 2003 a full review of enforcement activity within the Child Support Agency was undertaken. The recommendations which were implemented started to show a marked improvement in performance during 2004-05 and particularly last year 2005-06.
	I hope you find this response helpful.

Newcastle Jobcentre Plus Action Team

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the budget for the Newcastle Jobcentre Plus Action Team is for 2006-07; what the budget was in each of the last two years; which programmes the team supported in 2005-06 and 2006-07; and what geographical areas each programme covered.

Jim Murphy: Action Teams aim to engage communities, mainly through outreach, and find individual solutions for both employers and clients.
	The Newcastle Action Team covers the Newcastle city area and has supported a number of local programmes. Some examples of these programmes are: Sure Start; Newcastle City Council Work Finders; Job Educational Training and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL); Mental Health Matters; the Prison Service; Disability North; and Connexions.
	Details of the allocated budget for the Newcastle Action Team are in the table.
	
		
			   Allocated budget (£) 
			 2006-07 (April to 30 September 2006) 697,000 
			 2005-06 1,044,000 
			 2004-05 1,044,000 
		
	
	The funding for 2006-07 is less than for previous years as the Action Team programme is due to finish at the end of September 2006. Many of the practices and ideas developed by Action Teams have been integrated into Jobcentre Plus mainstream programmes and services. Examples include outreach work in local communities and the greater discretionary funding that is available to advisers.

Parliamentary Questions

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to question 42540 tabled by the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds on 11 January 2006, on telephone helplines.

Anne McGuire: I replied to the hon. Member on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 1480-81W.

Parliamentary Questions

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to question  (a) (i) 64505, (ii) 64521, (iii) 64507, (iv) 64504, (v) 64520, (vi) 64519 and (vii) 64508 on pension credit,  (b) (i) 64500 and (ii) 64495 on sickness absence,  (c) (i) 64498 and (ii) 64499 on rehabilitation services and  (d) 64501 on benefit helplines tabled by the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds on 12 January.

Anne McGuire: Replies have been given to the hon. Member for all of the questions as follows:
	64495 on 11 May 2006,  Official Report, column 497W
	64504 on 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1003W
	64505 on 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1003W
	64507 on 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1004W
	64508 on 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1003W
	64520 on 17 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1004-05W
	64521 on 17 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1003-04W
	64498 on 24 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1803W
	64499 on 24 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1803W
	64519 on 7 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1488W
	64501 on 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 914W
	64500 on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column1476W

Pension Credit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households are receiving pension credit in each ward in  (a) Westminster and  (b) Kensington and Chelsea; and what the average payment is in each ward.

James Purnell: The information requested is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Pension credit household recipients and average weekly amount of benefit for wards in Westminster, November 2005 
			  Ward name  Household recipients  Average weekly benefit (£) 
			 Aldersgate — — 
			 Bishopsgate — — 
			 Cripplegate 80 63.95 
			 Farringdon Within — — 
			 Farringdon Without — — 
			 Portsoken 70 70.50 
			 Queenhithe — — 
			 Tower — — 
			 Walbrook — — 
			 Bayswater 310 76.94 
			 Bryanston and Dorset Square 240 74.98 
			 Churchill 430 60.9 
			 Hyde Park 325 85.33 
			 Knightsbridge and Belgravia 50 70.38 
			 Lancaster Gate 365 75.93 
			 Marylebone High Street 240 61.14 
			 St. James's 350 58.33 
			 Tachbrook 410 55.43 
			 Vincent Square 375 63.64 
			 Warwick 300 67.59 
			 West End 280 70.73 
			 Cities of London and Westminster Constituency Total 3,710 68.07 
		
	
	
		
			  Pension credit household recipients and average weekly amount of benefit for wards in Kensington and Chelsea, November 2005 
			  Ward name  Household recipients  Average weekly benefit (£) 
			 Abingdon 220 74.70 
			 Brompton 165 66.34 
			 Campden 140 71.92 
			 Courtfield 165 66.02 
			 Cremorne 505 66.42 
			 Earl's Court 375 73.05 
			 Hans Town 235 61.82 
			 Holland(1) 175 84.40 
			 Pembridge 215 67.51 
			 Queen's Gate 120 84.75 
			 Redcliffe 245 66.25 
			 Royal Hospital 280 49.67 
			 Stanley 220 59.71 
			 Kensington and Chelsea Constituency Total 3,150 67.77 
			 (1) Only part of Holland ward falls within Kensington and Chelsea parliamentary constituency.  Notes: 1. The number of claimants is rounded to a multiple of five and average amounts to the nearest penny therefore ward totals do not always sum to area totals. 2. Some figures in Westminster Constituency have been suppressed due to there being less than 10 claimants within those wards. Suppressed figures are marked as "—". 3. Wards are based on 2003 ward boundaries. 4. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either on behalf of themselves only or on behalf of a household. This number is equal to the number of households in receipt of pension credit.  Source:  DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what circumstances a credit will be awarded towards a qualifying year for  (a) the basic state pension and state second pension,  (b) the basic state pension only and  (c) the state second pension only, if the proposals in the May 2006 White Paper 'Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system' are implemented in full; and which credits will apply on a weekly basis.

James Purnell: The White Paper 'Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system' (Cm 6841) sets out a package of proposed reforms. It includes a number of measures which would help to make the system more flexible, and make national insurance credits more valuable and more generous.
	The proposed reduction of the number of qualifying years needed for a full basic state pension to 30 is a very significant change that makes the system more flexible; it allows people to undertake a variety of activities during their working lives, and still be able to build a full basic state pension. This would be particularly beneficial to women.
	Credits would be made more valuable by removing the first contribution condition, so that credits count towards pension entitlements in exactly the same way as paid contributions for the first time. This clearly signals that social contributions are rewarded and recognised by society in the same way as paid work. The credits would be awarded on a weekly basis only to the extent needed for the year to become a qualifying year.
	In addition to making credits more valuable, the credits system would be made more comprehensive and generous, by reforming home responsibilities protection into a weekly credit and introducing new weekly credits for parents and carers—aligned in BSP and S2P and these would count towards satisfying the qualifying years in the same way as paid contributions.
	Assuming the White Paper proposals are implemented in full, the new credits to be introduced are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   BSP  S2P 
			 Carer's credit (20 hours' caring) Yes Yes 
			 Parent's credit Yes Yes 
			 Foster carer's credit Yes Yes 
		
	
	All the credits will be awarded on a weekly basis.
	There will be no specific circumstances in which state second pension will accrue without there being entitlement to basic state pension.
	Circumstances in which credits are currently awarded towards basic state pension are listed in the following table. Whether there is also eligibility for state second pension, if credits are awarded throughout the tax year, is also noted.
	
		
			   BSP  S2P 
			 Starting credits (aged 16 to 18) Yes No 
			 Approved training courses Yes No 
			 Jury Service Yes No 
			 Former prisoners with quashed convictions Yes No 
			 Men aged 60 to 64(1) Yes No 
			 Jobseeker's Allowance Yes No 
			 Incapacity Benefit (short-term) Yes No 
			 Incapacity Benefit (long-term) Yes (2)Yes 
			 Severe Disablement Allowance Yes Yes 
			 Carer's Allowance Yes Yes 
			 Statutory Sick Pay Yes No 
			 Statutory Adoption Pay Yes No 
			 Working Tax Credit Yes No 
			 Maternity Allowance Yes No 
			 Unemployability supplement Yes No 
			 Unemployed, actively seeking work (no JSA) Yes No 
			 Incapable of work through illness (no IB) Yes (2)Yes 
			 (1) lf the White Paper proposals are implemented in full, these will be phased out in line with the increase in women's state pension age. (2) This is currently subject to satisfying the labour market test.

Private Members' Bills

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which Private Members' Bills were drafted by his Department in each session since 1997; and which subsequently received Royal Assent.

Anne McGuire: Members will consider a range of possible subjects before introducing their Private Members' Bills.
	Government draftsmen do draft some Bills in advance which are available as one of the options for Members to consider before they make their selection.
	However, Members may make subsequent amendments or revisions to a Government drafted Bill, or use it as the basis for a Private Member's Bill in the future.
	The information requested is therefore not collected.

Remploy Review

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the review of Remploy to be completed; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I made on 6 June 2006,  Official Report, column 26WS.

Remploy Review

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether hon. Members are able to make submissions to the review of Remploy being undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The purpose of the independent strategic review is to explore future business options for Remploy that are consistent with the Government's strategy for supporting the employment of greater numbers of disabled people.
	In delivering the review the PricewaterhouseCoopers team has met with a range of stakeholders including: the management and staff of Remploy, at a variety of sites; trade unions; disabled people and employers using Remploy's Interwork services; other providers of services supporting disabled people into and in work; and a number of disability organisations.
	PricewaterhouseCoopers has reviewed carefully all the information it has gathered and is considering all the options to determine the advice it will put forward in the written report. Since the team has now reached the stage where it is writing the report it will not be possible for it to consider further submissions.
	As indicated in my written statement of 6 June 2006,  Official Report, column 26WS, we will make a further statement before the summer recess.

Rubber and Plastics Research Association Technology

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what requirements in relation to pension funds were imposed on Rubber and Plastics Research Association Technology in Shawbury, Shropshire before it went into administration.

James Purnell: None, over and above the standard legislative framework that applies to all such occupational defined benefit schemes.

Staff Reductions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what reductions in staff numbers have been made in his Department and in each agency and non-departmental public body for which he is responsible since  (a) 2003 and  (b) 2004; what staff reductions are planned over the next 12 months in each business area; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 12 December 2006
	Information on the reductions in staff numbers in each business area in the Department for Work and Pensions from the date specified to 31 March 2006 is in the following table.
	
		
			   Actual staffing at 31 March 2006  Reduction from 31 March 2003  Reduction from 1 March 2004( 1)  Reduction from 31 March 2005  Further planned reduction to 31 March 2007 Plans 
			  Department for Work and Pensions  
			 Jobcentre Plus 71,222 8,084 10,845 3,253 2,672 
			 The Pension Service 13,846 4,336 6,045 2,573 46 
			 Child Support Agency 11,034 347 +106 +1,049 384 
			 Disability and Carers Service 6,398 895 864 216 348 
			 Appeals Service 759 134 91 5 n/a 
			 The Rent Service 674 n/a (2)— 52 24 
			 Other Departmental Units (includes non-departmental public bodies) 10,834 2,118 704 1,202 584 
			 Departmental Total 114,767 15,240 18,443 6,252 4,817 
			   
			  Health and Safety Executive  
			 Health and Safety Executive 3,943 219 +66 +40 259 
			 (1) Baseline date for efficiency challenge (2) The baseline position as at 1 March 2004 is adjusted to reflect the move of the Rent Service from 1 April 2004 from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.  Notes: 1. Figures are consistent with ONS definitions, are civil service full time equivalent posts (rounded) and are point in time as at the dates specified. 2. The Appeals Service moved to the Department for Constitutional Affairs on 1 April 2006.  3. Disability and Carers Service was granted Agency status from 1 November 2004. 4. CSA staffing levels have increased to support the Operational Improvement Plan announced on 9 February 2006.

Winter Fuel Payment

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many individuals aged 60 to 79 years received the winter fuel payment of  (a) £100 and  (b) £200 for winter 2005-06 in (i) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and (ii) Lewisham borough;
	(2)  how many individuals aged 80 years and over received the winter fuel payment for winter 2005-06 in  (a) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and  (b) Lewisham borough; and how many out of those received an additional (i) £50 and (ii) £100.

James Purnell: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number 
			   Lewisham, Deptford constituency  Lewisham borough 
			 £100 payments made 2,270 9,260 
			 £200 payments made 5,200 16,660 
			 Total winter fuel payments made to those aged 60-79 7,480 25,920 
			
			 Additional £50 payments made 190 1,010 
			 Additional £100 payments made 1,300 5,650 
			 Total winter fuel payments made to those aged 80 or over 1,490 6,670 
			  Notes: 1. Figures rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Parliamentary constituencies and local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory. 4. Figures for 2005-06 refer only to the main payment run so they do not include the late payment run figures. We estimate that there are approximately 100,000 people in Great Britain paid in late payment runs (0.8 per cent. of all payments). Since most of the payments made in late payment runs are to people who are not receiving another benefit from DWP and whose claims had not been received by the qualifying week, most are men aged 60 to 64.  Source: Information Directorate 100 per cent. sample.

WALES

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the average cost to his Department was of replying to a letter written by  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public, broken down into (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office does not record expenditure in this format, and this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Bills

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  if he will list those Government Bills sponsored by his Department that are still to be introduced during the 2005-06 Session;
	(2)  if he will list the Government Bills sponsored by his Department that he has bid for in the next Session of Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1431W, by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House.

Regional Funding

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much  (a) Objective 1 and  (b) Convergence Funds funding was included in each of the annual block grant totals set out in Annexe 1 of the Wales Office Annual Report 2005.

Peter Hain: Annexe 1 of the Wales Office Annual Report 2005 provides information on the Wales departmental expenditure limit, and therefore takes account of the European Union receipts for structural funds, but these are not disaggregated.
	Annexe 4 shows the reconciliation of grant payable to the National Assembly for Wales with Total Managed Expenditure in Wales 2005-06 included £234 million for EU receipts. The equivalent figures in earlier reports are:
	2004 Annexe 5 2004-05: £235 million
	2003 Annexe 5 2003-04: £186 million
	2002 Annexe 5 2002-03: £170 million.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Registration/Fraud

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 
	(1)  how many hours were spent by Electoral Commission staff on the issues of  (a) postal ballot fraud and  (b) electoral registration in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many meetings Electoral Commission officers have  (a) attended and  (b) initiated on the issues of (i) postal ballot fraud and (ii) electoral registration in each of the last five years.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission has advised me as follows. The information requested is not available. However, as the issues of postal ballot fraud and electoral registration are both central to its work on promoting involvement and integrity in the electoral process, they arise frequently in work done by Commission staff and have been discussed by them in very many meetings over the last five years.

Electoral Registration/Fraud

Chris Ruane: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many Electoral Commission reports on  (a) postal ballot fraud and  (b) electoral registration have been produced in each of the last five years; and how many words there were in each.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission has informed me that, in the last five years, it has produced four reports dealing in part with postal ballot fraud, four reports dealing wholly, or in part, with electoral registration and two that deal with both issues.
	Of the reports dealing with postal ballot fraud, one was produced in 2002 (33,578 words); two in 2003 (17,826 words and 54,351 words respectively); and one in 2004 (33,592 words). Of the reports dealing with electoral registration, two were produced in 2003 (17,809 words and 30,633 words respectively); one in 2004 (38,438 words); and one in 2005 (19,451 words). The two reports dealing with both these issues were published in 2003 and 2005, and contained 17,785 words and 23,081 words respectively.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Arms Exports

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of export credits issued by the Export Credits Guarantee Department in each of the last three years were for military goods.

Ian McCartney: The proportion of export credit guarantees issued for defence goods and services by the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) in each of the last five years was:
	
		
			  Guarantees by business sector (defence) 
			   Percentage 
			 2004-05 38 
			 2003-04 39 
			 2002-03 50 
			 2001-02 31 
			 2000-01 48 
		
	
	ECGD's audited business figures for 2005-06 are not yet available.

British Energy (Decommissioning Fund)

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by how much the Government are underwriting British Energy's decommissioning fund.

Malcolm Wicks: As a result of the restructuring of British Energy, Government will underwrite the company's segregated decommissioning fund. This fund will cover the costs of decommissioning British Energy's nuclear power stations as well as certain other liabilities relating to waste management. The fund is topped up through annual contributions from British Energy. Government will underwrite this fund to the extent that the liabilities outweigh the assets.
	On recent valuation, the assets of the segregated fund total some £8.1 billion, the majority of which relates to the value attributed to the fund's 64.6 per cent. convertible stake in British Energy, and which exceeds the recent revised forecast of the liabilities. The fund can also distribute a share of its surplus assets to the Government in the event of quinquennial reviews demonstrating a surplus in the fund.

Business Closures (Suffolk)

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms have ceased trading in  (a) Bury St. Edmunds constituency and  (b) the Suffolk county council area in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business closures. DTI data on the number of VAT de-registrations in  (a) Bury St. Edmunds constituency and  (b) Suffolk county council area from 1997 to 2004 are shown in the following table. For comparison, the number of new VAT registrations and the ratio of de-registrations to registrations in each year is also shown.
	
		
			  VAT de-registrations and registrations 1997-2004 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  Bury St. Edmunds constituency   
			 De-registrations 225 200 235 250 240 220 275 280 
			 New registrations 295 280 275 325 260 315 305 345 
			 Ratio 0.76 0.71 0.85 0.77 0.92 0.70 0.90 0.81 
			  
			  Suffolk county council   
			 De-registrations 1,595 1,615 1,600 1,665 1,700 1,715 1,865 1,970 
			 New registrations 2,055 1,915 1,855 2,040 1,860 2,075 2,130 2,050 
			 Ratio 0.78 0.84 0.86 0.82 0.91 0.83 0.88 0.96 
			  Source:  Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2004, Small Business Service, available at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats. 
		
	
	In both Bury St. Edmunds constituency and Suffolk county council area the stock of VAT registered businesses has increased each year since 1997, as registrations have exceeded de-registrations throughout this period.
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million businesses (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.

Cathode Ray Tubes

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid to local authorities for the additional responsibilities to recycle televisions and monitors containing cathode ray tubes since July 2005.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 22 June 2006
	An interim payment of £14.7 million has been agreed to cover the treatment costs of separately collected cathode ray tubes (CRTs) and fluorescent tubes for the period 13 August 2005 to 1 June 2006, and Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) equipment from 1 April 2006 until 1 June 2006. The English local authorities' share of the interim payment of £12.269 million has been made available as part of the Local Government Settlement for 2006-07. Additional funding to cover costs from 1 June onwards will be paid via a special grant scheme later in the year.

Cathode Ray Tubes

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the likely costs associated with recycling televisions and monitors containing cathode ray tubes following the introduction of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 22 June 2006
	The costs associated with recycling televisions and monitors containing cathode ray tubes will vary according to their size and weight and the proximity of treatment centres. Estimates of the costs of collecting, treating and recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment will appear in the partial regulatory impact assessment when public consultation begins later this summer on draft regulations to implement the WEEE directive.

Company Law Reform Bill

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the likely changes in costs to business arising out of implementation of the provisions of the Company Law Reform Bill as amended by the House of Lords.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 20 June 2006
	Against direct benefits of between £160 million and £340 million per annum there are a small number of provisions in the Bill that might in principle increase compliance costs. The direct costs associated with the Bill are expected to be in the range £8 million to £47 million. This is an increase of £6 million to £36 million on the estimated direct costs associated with the Company Law Reform Bill on introduction in the Lords (£2 million to £11 million).
	The additional costs of £6 million to £36 million are associated with the amendments to the "Exercise of Members' Rights" provisions made in the House of Lords. The direct cost estimates have been provided by stakeholders and are sensitive to assumptions such as the percentage of indirect investors opting to exercise rights. We will seek to revise those amendments during consideration of the Bill in the House of Commons.

Energy Efficiency

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the potential effects on business and employment in the UK of an increase in market penetration in energy efficiency and new measures by UK companies.

Malcolm Wicks: Improvements in energy efficiency have the potential to reduce business energy bills which should help increase companies' competitiveness, giving scope for increased employment.

Flag Flying

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  on how many days since May 1997 the St. George's flag has been flown from his Department's buildings;
	(2)  what his Department's policy is on flying the  (a) St. George's flag and  (b) EU flag from departmental buildings.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issue the guidance for flying flags on Government buildings. This includes flying the St. George's flag or Union flag on St. George's day 23 April and the European flag on Europe day 9 May on buildings with two or more flag poles provided they are flown alongside the Union flag with the Union flag in the superior position.
	The Department for Trade and Industry flies the Union flag and European flag on the specified days and will fly the national flag on St. George's day in 2007.

GovNet Expo 2006

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost is to his Department of supporting GovNet Expo 2006.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI is not sponsoring GovNet Expo 2006. It is being jointly sponsored by a private sector body and the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) which is providing support at a total cost of £21,150. EOC was formerly sponsored by the DTI until its transfer to the Department of Communities and Local Government in May 2006.

Green Energy Sources

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what incentives are in place to encourage private homeowners to use green energy sources to power and heat their homes.

Malcolm Wicks: Grants for the installation of a number of microgeneration technologies producing heat and electricity are available to householders under the new Low Carbon Buildings programme (LCBP). This programme supersedes the previous Clear Skies and Major Photovoltaics Demonstration programmes. Stream one of the LCBP provides grant support for householders and applications are now being taken. The scheme is managed on behalf of the Department by the Energy Savings Trust.
	Full details are available on the LCBP website at www.lowcarbonbuiIdings.org.uk.
	Microgenerators producing electricity can also benefit from the Renewables Obligation (RO) where they will receive one Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) for every 1MWh of eligible renewable electricity generated. We will also be consulting later this year on changes to the RO, which will allow microgenerators to gain further benefits. This includes allowing agents to act on behalf of microgenerators; amalgamating generation from several microgenerators; and removing the need for a sale and buy-back agreement.

Green Tariffs

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to establish an accreditation scheme for green tariffs for domestic electricity customers; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Ofgem will shortly be publishing a response to its consultation on the "Revision of Guidelines on Green Supply Offerings" and we will consider the introduction of an accreditation scheme for green electricity tariffs in the light of this.

Green Tariffs

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with Ofgem concerning claims made by electricity suppliers about their green tariff schemes.

Malcolm Wicks: None.

Green Tariffs

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria must be met before an electricity company may market an electricity tariff as a green tariff.

Malcolm Wicks: Ofgem publishes guidelines for the use of green tariffs and issued a consultation on the revision of these guidelines last year. It advises that it will publish its response shortly.

Harworth Colliery

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had on the future of Harworth Colliery; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 20 June 2006
	UK Coal's recent decision to proceed with the mothballing of Harworth Colliery is a sad one, particularly for the work force, a representative of whom I met yesterday. This is, of course, a commercial decision for the company and I remain hopeful that a commercial solution can still be found. I have asked to be kept closely informed of developments.

HP Sauce

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with  (a) Heinz,  (b) unions representing workers at Aston Cross HP Sauce factory and  (c) Birmingham city council regarding the Heinz proposal to move production of HP Sauce from the UK to the Netherlands.

Margaret Hodge: The Government office for the west midlands attended a meeting on Wednesday 24 May which was chaired by Councillor Ken Hardeman (Birmingham city council—cabinet member for regeneration) and included representatives from Birmingham and Solihull Learning and Skills Council, Advantage West Midlands (RDA) and Heinz.

Industrial Strategy (West Midlands)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans his Department has to review the effect of the Government's industrial strategy on the west midlands.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 15 June 2006
	DTI published the Government's manufacturing strategy in 2002 and carried out a review of that strategy with key industry stakeholders across the regions in 2004.
	As an outcome of the review, we established the joint industry and Government-led manufacturing forum to drive forward the implementation of the strategy and monitor progress. Regional development agencies are represented on the forum, reflecting their strong involvement in delivering the strategy.
	I am meeting the hon. Member and other hon. Members in the near future and will discuss with him the effect of the Government's manufacturing strategy on the west midlands.

Mobile Phones

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what regulations are in place to ensure that staff at points of mobile telephone sales are  (a) trained and  (b) encouraged to communicate information about handset specific absorption rates.

Margaret Hodge: Many third party retailers provide this information in their outlets and on their websites, although there are no specific regulations in place.
	In addition, the UK's five Mobile Network Operators, namely Orange, T-Mobile, Hutchison 3G, O2 and Vodafone, have resources within their customer service departments to provide information and advice to users regarding specific absorption rates (SAR) values on handsets.

Muslim Women (Employment)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent steps he has taken to increase the participation of Muslim women in the labour market; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: The Ethnic Minority Business Forum was established in 2000 by the DTI as an independent, strategic advisory body to represent the views of ethnic minority business communities. It advises Government on the right help and advice ethnic minority businesses need for growth and success.
	Additionally the DTI's Public Service Agreement 10, which is a joint target with the Department for Work and Pensions, is to promote ethnic diversity, co-operative employment relations and greater choice and commitment in the workplace while maintaining a flexible labour market.
	The DTI's sub-targets include raising self employment rate of ethnic minorities relative to other groups and reducing incidents of racial discrimination at work reported by ethnic minority employees.
	In addition, the Government's Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force brings together Government Departments and key stakeholders to work towards increasing the employment rate of ethnic minorities, including Muslim women.

Non-electrical Light Fittings

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 875W, on light fittings (hazardous substances), what guidance he has issued on whether the wholesale and retail of existing stock of non-electrical light fittings are within the scope of the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2005, S.I. 2005, No. 2748.

Malcolm Wicks: The RoHS Regulations have no impact on any existing stock that has been placed on the EU market. The Government's non-statutory Guidance Notes make it clear that the regulations only become enforceable from 1 July 2006.

Norfolk Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what  (a) goods and  (b) services were (i) exported to and (ii) imported from Norfolk Island over the last three years.

Ian McCartney: Recorded values of UK exports of goods to Norfolk Island were:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003 17,000 
			 2004 12,000 
			 2005 19,000 
		
	
	No imports of goods were recorded in the same period. Information for trade in services is not available.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer of 14 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 764-5, on nuclear power, what the source was for his statement  (a) that 50 to 60 nuclear power plants are under construction and  (b) that the new generation of nuclear power stations generate around one-tenth of the radioactive waste of the previous generation of reactors.

Malcolm Wicks: The source for the data regarding nuclear power plants under construction is the World Nuclear Association website at http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/reactors.htm
	The website illustrates that there are 25 reactors under construction and 38 reactors planned, giving a total of 63 reactors. The definitions given on the website for "construction" and "planned" are:
	"Construction: first concrete for reactor poured, or major refurbishment under way"; "Planned: Approvals and funding in place, or construction well advanced but suspended indefinitely".
	On the matter of radioactive waste, details of the calculations and views of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) can be found at www.corwm.org.uk

Nuclear Power

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department takes to ensure that nuclear decommissioning costs are  (a) kept to budget and  (b) cost-effective.

Malcolm Wicks: The policy intention behind the creation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), which assumed responsibility for the decommissioning and clean-up of the UK's civil nuclear legacy on 1 April 2005, is to provide national strategic control and direction for decommissioning of those sites previously operated by United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. and to deliver accelerated clean-up safely, securely, cost-effectively and in ways that safeguard the environment for this and future generations. The DTI has arrangements for the oversight of NDA so as to be sure that it is achieving this task, and like other areas of Government activity the activities of NDA are also subject to review by the National Audit Office.

Nuclear Power

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether any funds provisionally set aside for  (a) the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and  (b) the disposal of nuclear waste have been used for any other purposes since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: We are not aware of any funds set aside for the decommissioning of nuclear power plants or the disposal of nuclear waste that have been used for any other purposes.

Nuclear Power

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been set aside by  (a) the Government and  (b) the nuclear industry towards the cost of decommissioning nuclear power plants since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are committed to funding the full costs of the decommissioning and clean-up of the historic civil nuclear liabilities by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The Consolidated Fund is the mechanism for funding this. Under the 2004 Spending Review the NDA received a budget of £2.2 billion for 2005-06—about half of which was to be raised by the NDA's commercial activities. Following the successful conclusion of the EC State Aid Review on 4 April 2006, financial responsibility for decommissioning BNFL sites has passed to the NDA under the Energy Act 2004. Until this point BNFL held nuclear funding assets of some £17.3 billion on its balance sheet to fund future decommissioning costs. Following the transfer of the nuclear decommissioning liability to the NDA, these assets have been transferred back to the Government.
	There are separate arrangements for funding the decommissioning of British Energy nuclear sites. Since privatisation in 1996, British Energy has been making contributions into a segregated decommissioning fund. As a result of the restructuring, which completed in January 2005, British Energy will make enhanced contributions into the fund and Government will underwrite the fund to the extent that its liabilities outweigh its assets. On recent valuation, the assets of the segregated fund total some £8.1 billion, the majority of which relates to the value attributed to the fund's 64.6 per cent. convertible stake in British Energy.

Oil Companies

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he plans to take to ensure that oil companies are required to offer supply contracts to independent petrol retailers; and what assessment he has made of the compliance of oil companies with Government fair trading and competition policies in respect of their dealings with independent petrol retailers.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government's policy is not to intervene in commercial transactions or price setting, as they believe the consumer is best served by open competition between companies.
	An assessment has not been made by the DTI of the compliance of oil companies with Government fair trading and competition policies in respect of their dealings with independent petrol retailers. However, the supply of fuel is subject to UK competition law under the Competition Act 1998. Under the Act, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has powers to investigate situations where there are reasonable grounds to suspect anti-competitive agreements or abuse of a dominant market position in the fuel market.

Post Office Network Services

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what services  (a) his Department and  (b) its associated public bodies (i) make available and (ii) have made available in the last five years through the Post Office network; through how many outlets the service is or was made available; and how many relevant transactions were undertaken in each case in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None. A number of other Government Departments have contracts with the Post Office for the provision of services through the Post Office network.

Renewable Energy

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the purchase price is of a kilowatt hour of electricity generated by  (a) wind power and  (b) incinerators accepting municipal waste; and how this purchase price is reduced by renewable obligation certificates in each case.

Malcolm Wicks: In the UK's competitive and liberalised energy market, the purchase price of a kilowatt hour of electricity generated, by  (a) wind power and  (b) incinerators accepting municipal waste, is a commercial matter between generators and suppliers.
	Renewable obligation certificates allow accredited renewable generators to receive a premium price for every one megawatt hour of eligible electricity generated. An incinerator accepting municipal mixed waste is not eligible for renewable obligation certificates.

Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what penalties will be imposed on organisations selling goods which do not comply with the restriction of hazardous substances directive;
	(2)  what  (a) powers,  (b) funds and  (c) responsibilities have been given to the relevant agencies to ensure that all goods entering the UK after 1 July comply with the restriction of hazardous substances directive;
	(3)  what assessment his Department carried out prior to the implementation of the restrictions of hazardous substances directive of the impact of using non-lead solders on the reliability of electronic equipment manufactured;
	(4)  what steps are being taken to reduce environmental impact of the compulsory use of non-lead solders following the enactment of the restriction of hazardous substances directive;
	(5)  what testing procedures exist to measure whether metals used in electrical apparatus will comply with the restriction of hazardous substances directive;
	(6)  what steps have been taken to ensure that the materials being used to replace those banned by the restriction of hazardous substances directive are less damaging to the environment;
	(7)  what steps HM Revenue and Customs is taking to ensure that all goods entering the UK after 1 July are compliant with standards imposed by the restriction of hazardous substances directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The EC restriction of hazardous substances directive (2002/95/EC) has been transposed into UK legislation by the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006 (SI 2006 No. 1463), which come into force on 1 July this year. These regulations, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House, contain full details of the powers and responsibilities that the enforcement authority will hold and the details of the penalties that could be imposed on those that do not comply with the requirements. HM Revenue and Customs is not given specific additional powers by these regulations.
	Due to the broad scope of the regulations, there are no standard testing procedures but the DTI's non-statutory Government Guidance Notes offer advice on the UK's overall compliance approach.
	Copies of a full regulatory impact assessment were placed in the Libraries of the House at the same time as copies of the regulations.

Rural Post Offices

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to extend support for rural post offices when the Social Network Payment ends in March 2008.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government are committed to supporting the rural post office network with annual Social Network Payments of £150 million for the next two years. We are carefully considering options for the network beyond 2008 and are not working to a fixed timetable.

Shops

Celia Barlow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of independent retail shops that have  (a) opened and  (b) closed in Hove constituency since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business start-ups and closures. DTI data on the number of VAT retail business registrations and de-registrations in Hove from 1997 to 2004 are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  VAT registrations and de-registrations in retail( 1)  in Hove, 1997-2004 
			   Registrations  De-registrations 
			 1997 45 45 
			 1998 35 50 
			 1999 40 50 
			 2000 40 45 
			 2001 35 40 
			 2002 30 40 
			 2003 35 45 
			 2004 35 35 
			 (1) Standard Industrial Classification 52, retail trade (except of motor vehicles), repair of personal and household goods.   Note:  Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 for data protection reasons.   Source:  Small Business Service figures based on data from the ONS Inter Departmental Business Register. 
		
	
	The number of VAT registrations and de-registrations in Hove across all sectors from 1997 to 2004 is shown in the following table. Since 1997 the overall stock of businesses in Hove has risen by 12 per cent.
	
		
			  VAT registrations and de-registrations and start of year stock in Hove (all sectors), 1997-2004 
			   All businesses 
			   Registrations  De-registrations  Start of year stock 
			 1997 460 290 2,800 
			 1998 405 325 2,970 
			 1999 375 380 3,050 
			 2000 370 370 3,050 
			 2001 345 345 3,050 
			 2002 370 300 3,045 
			 2003 390 350 3,115 
			 2004 330 360 3,155 
			  Source:  Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2004, Small Business Service, available at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats 
		
	
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register may not have closed. In the retail sector 63 per cent of enterprises in the UK (200,000 out of 320,000) were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.

Small Businesses

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses that began trading since 1997 have subsequently ceased trading in  (a) Bury St. Edmunds constituency,  (b) Suffolk,  (c) the east of England and  (d) England.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business starts and closures. Latest VAT data on the total number of registrations since 1997 and the number of these registrations that subsequently de-registered, covering up to 2004, are shown in the following table for  (a) Bury St. Edmunds constituency,  (b) Suffolk,  (c) the east of England and  (d) England.
	
		
			  VAT registrations and subsequent de-registrations, 1997 to 2004( 1) 
			   Number of registrations and de-registrations 
			  Bury St Edmunds constituency  
			 New registrations 1997 to 2004 2,395 
			 Number de-registering by end of 2004 650 
			 Percentage still registered, end of 2004 73 
			   
			  Suffolk county  
			 New registrations 1997 to 2004 15,940 
			 Number de-registering by end of 2004 4,860 
			 Percentage still registered, end of 2004 70 
			   
			  East of England GOR  
			 New registrations 1997 to 2004 140,400 
			 Number de-registering by end of 2004 44,925 
			 Percentage still registered, end of 2004 68 
			   
			  England  
			 New registrations 1997 to 2004 1,261,665 
			 Number de-registering by end of 2004 429,510 
			 Percentage still registered, end of 2004 66 
			 (1) VAT registration and de-registration data are not available by size of business. However, 98 per cent. of the total stock of VAT registered businesses are small (0-49 employees). Source: Office for National Statistics, UK Business: Activity, Size and Location—2005, available from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product..asp? .vlnk=933.   Source:  New analysis of VAT Survival Rates data 1994-2003, Small Business Service, available at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/survival; SBS analysis of ONS Inter Departmental Business Register data. 
		
	
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register may not have closed. Only 1.8 million out of the 4.3 million businesses in the UK (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.

Small Businesses

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister has responsibility for small firms.

Margaret Hodge: I have overall responsibility for small firms.

Social Enterprises

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what publicly-funded sources of assistance are available to social enterprises that are approaching bankruptcy.

Edward Miliband: I have been asked to reply.
	A social enterprise approaching bankruptcy has access to all publicly-funded sources of assistance that any traditional business can expect to draw upon. This includes their local business link, which as well as offering advice to start-up companies, also helps businesses to deal with problems and challenges they may encounter. Guidance is also available on the businesslink.gov website which offers advice on avoiding insolvency, recovering debt through the courts, and alternatives to bankruptcy.

Supermarkets

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Competition Commission inquiry into supermarkets will include the implications of the international business practices of the largest chains.

Ian McCartney: Although the Office of Fair Trading have been specific in the issues they feel could be a problem within the market, the Competition Commission (CC) investigation is not limited to considering only those issues identified in the reference document. It is for the CC to make that decision.
	In its statement of issues published on 15 June, the CC has indicated that it has received evidence on a range of issues of public concern associated with grocery retailing which it has no power to investigate or resolve. These issues, and public concern about them, may interact with competition issues and provide background and context for the investigation but the CC has stated that its focus must be on the competition issues. The full statement of issues can be found at:
	http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2006/grocery/pdf/issues_statement.pdf.

Trade Control Licences

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what  (a) standard individual trade control licences and  (b) open individual trade control licences have been issued to UK-based companies for the transfer of small arms from Bosnia to (i) Iraq and (ii) other destination countries since June 2003.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government publish details of trade control licences issued, in their annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls. The Government's annual reports are available from the Libraries of the House and the DTI export control organisation website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/europeantrade/strategic-export-control/index.html.

Working Time Directive

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  whether it is the Government's policy to preserve the UK's opt-out from the working time directive in its entirety; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what restrictions in  (a) scope and  (b) permanence relating to the UK's opt-out from the working time directive are under consideration; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The UK Government, in common with the Governments of several other European member states, have made it clear that they would oppose any proposal for a revised directive that phases out the opt-out, or that prevents individuals from choosing to work longer than 48 hours if they wish to do so.

Zimbabwe

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many export licences were granted for military equipment to Zimbabwe in each quarter of the last three years.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government publish detailed information on their export licensing decisions, by destination, in their annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls. The Government's annual reports are available from the Libraries of the House and the DTI Export Control Organisation website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/europeandtrade/strategic-export-control/index.html.

Zimbabwe

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance the Export Credits Guarantee Department has offered to UK companies seeking to export to Zimbabwe over the past three years.

Ian McCartney: The Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) has not provided any support for UK companies exporting to Zimbabwe in the last three years. ECGD withdrew cover for Zimbabwe in 1999.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departmental Websites

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many websites there are within her responsibilities; and what the total cost of maintaining such websites was in the last year for which figures are available.

David Lammy: My Department is responsible for 18 websites. The total maintenance costs of these sites for the year 2005-06 was £50,020.
	This figure does not include those sites developed through the Culture Online programme.

Digital Radio Multiplex

John Whittingdale: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects to lay orders relating to the amount of data which can be carried on a digital radio multiplex and to change the definition of a digital programme service.

Tessa Jowell: The Television Licensable Content Services Order 2006 and the Radio Multiplex Services (Required Percentage of Digital Capacity) Order 2006 were laid on 21 June 2006.

Digital Television

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to ensure an increase to 100 per cent. of the coverage of digital services following digital switchover; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: Currently digital terrestrial television is available to three quarters of the population, and the vast majority of households can receive digital TV services via digital satellite, terrestrial or cable. 70 per cent. of households in the UK have already chosen to take up digital TV.
	After switchover, which takes place between 2008 and 2012, UK digital terrestrial television coverage will match the current analogue coverage of 98.5 per cent.

Disability Access

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether any buildings in her Department fall short of disability access regulations.

David Lammy: As an employer, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is subject to duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 which requires us to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. These may include adjustments to physical features of premises.
	The principle of "reasonable adjustment" is fundamental to the Act and factors such as the practicability of making an adjustment and the extent to which it overcomes the difficulties faced by the disabled person may be taken into account in determining what is reasonable. As the Disability Discrimination Act requires adjustments that are reasonable in the individual circumstances, it is not prescriptive about the level of access to buildings which must be provided for disabled people, and there are no disability access regulations made under the Act.
	However, Part M of the building regulations aims to ensure that people, regardless of disability, age or gender, should be able to gain access to, and within buildings, and use their facilities, both as visitors and as people who live or work in them. The provisions of Part M apply only to new buildings and those non-domestic buildings undergoing alteration, change of use or which are being extended. Crown-owned or occupied buildings are exempt from the building regulations but it is the Government's policy for their buildings to comply with the regulations where there is no reason not to.
	DCMS is currently undertaking a major refurbishment of our main Cockspur Street offices. We have given careful consideration to the needs of staff and visitors and are making many improvements to the building aimed at improving access for all. For example, all workstations will be fully adjustable; primary and secondary circulation routes are being widened and all will exceed the standards set by British Standard BS8300. There will be accessible signage, toilets and meeting rooms with induction loops on all floors.

Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria the Government used in deciding not to display the flag of  (a) Norfolk Island,  (b) the British Antarctic Territory,  (c) South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,  (d) the Turks and Caicos Islands,  (e) Montserrat,  (f) Bermuda,  (g) Anguilla,  (h) the Cayman Islands and  (i) the British Virgin Islands at this year's Trooping the Colour.

David Lammy: Only the flags of the Commonwealth countries are flown at Trooping of the Colour. The countries listed above are Overseas Territories which are not member states of the Commonwealth.

Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria the Government used in deciding not to display the flag of  (a) the Isle of Man and  (b) Guernsey at this year's Trooping the Colour.

David Lammy: Only the flags of the Commonwealth Countries are flown at Trooping of the Colour. The Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man are Crown dependencies and are not member states of the Commonwealth.

Gaming Machines (Stakes and Prizes)

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recommendations have been made by the Gaming Board of Great Britain on machine stakes and prize levels since 1976.

Richard Caborn: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I would also refer my hon. Friend to my answer given today to his question number 79594.

Gaming Machines (Stakes and Prizes)

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when gaming machine stake and prize levels were last increased.

Richard Caborn: Stakes and prizes were last increased for the various categories of gaming machines, under the provisions of the Gaming Act 1968, on the following basis:
	 Jackpot machines
	In casinos, stakes and prizes were increased to £2 and to £4,000, respectively, in October 2005.
	From October 2005, casinos were also able to offer a new style of machine with a maximum stake of £100 and a maximum prize of £500.
	In bingo halls stakes and prizes were increased to 50p and £500, respectively, in October 1998.
	In registered clubs stakes and prizes were increased to 50p and £250, respectively, in October 1998.
	 Amusement with Prizes Machines (AWPs)
	The stake on both all cash and coin or token AWPs was increased to 30p in October 1997.
	The prize on all cash AWPs was increased to £25 in January 2002.
	The prize on coin or token AWPs, where the prize is all cash, was increased to £5 in October 1997.
	The prize on coin and token AWPs, where the prize is non-cash, was increased to £8 in October 1995.

Licensing Act

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how her Department is monitoring the extent to which council licensing departments are applying the Licensing Act 2003 consistently and appropriately in respect of charity fund raising functions.

Shaun Woodward: Under the Scrutiny Council initiative, officials from my Department are working with council officers and through them with local police and other responsible authorities, residents' groups, businesses and other stakeholders, to gather information about how the new regime is working on the ground.
	In addition, we are conducting a review of the guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2003 (the 2003 Act). A comprehensive formal review of the guidance including a full public consultation will be completed by summer 2006 and a revised version of the guidance will be laid before Parliament by the end of 2006.
	However, in the first instance, it is for licensing authorities to interpret the law on the basis of their own legal advice. An appeal mechanism has been built into the 2003 Act to ensure that licensing authority interpretations can be challenged in the courts to ensure that they are reasonable and fair.

Lottery Funding

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many applications for lottery funding were received from organisations and groups in Bexleyheath and Crayford in each of the last five years.

Richard Caborn: This Department has never collected comprehensive information on either the number or value of applications for lottery grants received by the distributing bodies. The information requested could be collected and provided only at disproportionate cost.

Public Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people visited a public library in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The number of visits to public libraries in England from 1997-98 to 2004-05 (the latest available figure) are as follows:
	
		
			   Visits 
			 1997-98 302,766,446 
			 1998-99 292,498,470 
			 1999-00 279,984,620 
			 2000-01 275,660,063 
			 2001-02 270,775,309 
			 2002-03 274,052,872 
			 2003-04 285,364,643 
			 2004-05 288,381,801 
			  Source:  Public Library Statistics, published by the Chartered Institute for Finance and Accountancy

Public Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many public libraries there were in each local authority in each year since 1997;
	(2)  for what average number of hours per week public libraries were open in each local authority in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The table shows the number of public libraries in England, by opening hours band, for 1997-98 to 2004-05 (the latest available) and, for context, the comparable figures for 1978-79. This data are drawn from the public library statistics report published for those years by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA). The reports do not contain averaged hours.
	The figures for each of the 149 library authorities in England may be found in the CIPFA reports. Copies are held by the House Library.
	
		
			  Static libraries in England (by hours open per week) 
			   60+  45-59  30-44  10-29  <10 
			 1978-79 86 913 1,147 954 559 
			 1997-98 6 449 1,279 1,323 157 
			 1998-99 11 437 1,242 1,347 150 
			 1999-00 11 458 1,222 1,340 132 
			 2000-01 19 469 1,206 1,331 130 
			 2001-02 28 493 1,199 1,311 115 
			 2002-03 42 598 1,168 1,240 91 
			 2003-04 51 683 1,143 1,186 80 
			 2004-05 69 727 1,139 1,106 96 
			  Note: This covers a reply for parliamentary questions 79901 and 79903.

Public Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which public libraries are proposed for closure, broken down by local authority.

David Lammy: The following list details proposals where individual libraries have been named by the parent authorities. These proposals are still subject to public consultation, possible deferral or to ratification following a trial period of extended opening hours.
	 Devon County Council
	12 closures proposed at:
	Appledore,
	Colyton Geneva,
	Bideford,
	Heavitree,
	Exeter Ipplepen,
	Kingskerswell,
	Kingsteignton Kingswear,
	Pinhoe,
	Primley,
	Sidmouth,
	Stoke Fleming,
	Shaldon
	 Dorset County Council
	13 proposed closures at:
	Burton Bradstock,
	Charmouth,
	Chickerell,
	Colehill,
	Corfe Castle,
	Corfe Mullen,
	Crossways
	Lytchett Matravers,
	Portland Underbill,
	Puddletown,
	Stalbridge,
	Wool,
	Wyke Regis
	 Hertfordshire County Council
	4 Proposed closures
	2 in the St Albans area.
	We are looking into the status of some other reported closure proposals with the authorities concerned. There have been a number of figures for such proposals in the press and media. However, we believe that some of those figures have not taken account of proposals that have been dropped or scaled down.

Public Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in how many local authorities the future of public libraries is open to public consultation; and how long each consultation is expected to last.

David Lammy: Information regarding public consultations on library services within the 149 library authorities in England is not held centrally. However, we are aware that a number of consultations are planned or in progress in areas such as Devon and Dorset where library closures are being considered.
	We want to see public library services that are responsive to the needs of local people. Individual library authorities are best placed to judge those needs but they should ensure that their judgements are based on soundings from the communities that they serve.

Public Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of public library stock was made up of  (a) books,  (b) tapes,  (c) CDs,  (d) videos and  (e) DVDs in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: Percentage figures are not held centrally, nor are actual items figure held precisely in the form requested. However, the table shows the number of books, sound recordings (encompassing music and talking books), and videos/DVDs from 1997-98 to 2004-05 (the latest year available).
	
		
			  Million 
			   Books( 1)  Sound recordings( 1)  Video/DVD( 1) 
			 1997-98 73.91 4.67 1.24 
			 1998-99 72.69 4.55 1.38 
			 1999-2000 70.39 4.48 1.48 
			 2000-01 69.47 4.38 1.60 
			 2001-02 67.83 4.27 1.63 
			 2002-03 66.41 4.64 1.87 
			 2003-04 64.76 4.50 2.06 
			 2004-05 62.61 4.15 2.15 
			 (1) Lending stock only.  Source: Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

Stonehenge

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people have visited Stonehenge in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The Stonehenge visitor figures for 1996-97 to 2005-06 are given in the table:
	
		
			   Visitor numbers 
			 1996-97 753,242 
			 1997-98 775,835 
			 1998-99 832,540 
			 1999-2000 836,294 
			 2000-01 799,742 
			 2001-02 718,116 
			 2002-03 787,273 
			 2003-04 761,972 
			 2004-05 829,895 
			 2005-06 834,318

PRIME MINISTER

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions on abortion he has had with Cardinal Keith O'Brien; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Chequers

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 883W, on Chequers, if he will list those persons who gave oral evidence to the Hutton Inquiry, other than hon. Members and Government officials, whom he met at Chequers in  (a) 2003 and  (b) 2004.

Tony Blair: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 883W.

Departmental Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister if he will keep a separate record of the amount spent annually on alcohol for hospitality purposes in his Office.

Tony Blair: For accounting purposes my Office forms part of the Cabinet Office. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Hilary Armstrong) today.

Hutton Report

Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer from the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs of 14 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1268W on the Hutton Report, how many final copies of the Hutton Report were obtained by 10 Downing street; at what price per copy; and to whom they were issued.

Tony Blair: I have nothing further to add to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Harriet Harman) on 14 June,  Official Report, column 1268W.

Mei Eden Mineral Water

Richard Burden: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the purchase and use of Mei Eden mineral water from the Golan Heights at 10 Downing street.

Tony Blair: Mineral water supplied by Eden Springs to 10 Downing street is sourced from within the UK.

Ministerial Meetings

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he had on defence and security issues when he recently met President Chirac.

Tony Blair: I discussed a wide range of issues with President Chirac during our recent meeting, including UK/French defence cooperation and European Security and Defence Policy. I refer the hon. Member to the press conference I held with President Chirac on 9 June 2006. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Ministerial Meetings

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Prime Minister if he will visit the Royal Shrewsbury hospital maternity unit to meet nurses and hear their views.

Tony Blair: I have no current plans to do so.

Ministerial Meetings

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Prime Minister if he will meet public sector workers in Shrewsbury to discuss Government plans for pension reforms.

Tony Blair: I have no current plans to do so.

Parliamentary Questions

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 8 June 2006,  Official Report, column 827W, on parliamentary questions, what the reasons were for the time taken to reply to the original question;
	(2)  what steps he has  (a) taken and  (b) plans to take to reduce the length of time taken to answer written parliamentary questions; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave the hon. Member for Monmouth (David T. C. Davies) on 15 February 2006,  Official Report, column 2032W.

Sovereign Strategy

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 120W, on Sovereign Strategy, on how many occasions his official diary shows that he met a representative of Sovereign Strategy during the last 12 months.

Tony Blair: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 120W.

TREASURY

Biodiesel

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will lower the rate of taxation on biodiesel.

John Healey: The recent Budget announced the extension of the 20p per litre duty differential for biofuels until 2008-09, and set out a range of announcements about the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, which will begin in 2008-09.
	The Chancellor considers relevant economic, social and environmental factors when deciding taxation policy, with any announcements being made in the context of his Budget statement.

Children's Sunglasses

Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on removing VAT on children's sunglasses; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Representations are regularly made to Treasury Ministers and officials on a wide range of issues.
	Under agreements with our European partners we can keep our existing VAT zero rates, but we may not extend them or introduce new ones. It is therefore not possible to remove VAT from children's sunglasses.

Construction Industry (Registration Cards)

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1354W, on construction industry (registration cards), how many temporary construction industry services registration cards  (a) have been issued and  (b) are in use; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Of the 2.4 million construction industry registration cards (CIS4) issued since the scheme began in 1999, 350,000 are temporary registration cards. This number includes some renewed temporary cards. 240,000 temporary registration cards have been used.
	Unused cards are generally attributable to holders of recently issued cards having not yet been paid within CIS or holders that normally work within the domestic sector having applied for a card in case they become involved in CIS work.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Paymaster General will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Walsall, North of 23 May 2006, regarding a constituent.

Dawn Primarolo: I have done so.

Credit Unions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what help his Department has given to the credit union movement in the UK.

Edward Balls: The Government welcome the role of the credit union movement in helping to promote financial inclusion and contributing to choice and diversity in the financial services sector. The Government aim to encourage credit unions to be sustainable professional bodies so they can more effectively meet their members' needs and assist the financially excluded on a long-term basis.
	Some of the Government action to facilitate this since 1997 includes bringing credit unions under the regulatory supervision of the Financial Services Authority in 2001, and using a regulatory reform order in 2003 to allow credit unions greater operational flexibility. More recently and following consultation with the sector and consumer groups, the Government introduced legislation increasing the maximum permitted interest rate on loans, from 1 per cent. to 2 per cent. per month, in order to provide flexibility to lend to more people on low incomes. In addition, credit unions are now able to offer cash ISAs.
	These measures are complemented by a £36 million Growth Fund for credit unions and other community-based lenders announced at PBR 2004, and to be administered by the Department for Work and Pensions from mid-2006.

Data Protection

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 177W, on the Data Protection Act, what longest period of time elapsed between HM Revenue and Customs  (a) receiving the administration fee and providing the information requested and  (b) receiving a request for information and providing the information requested under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs does not charge for access to personal information requested under the subject access provisions afforded by the Data Protection Act 1998.
	The average length of time HM Revenue and Customs take to reply to subject access requests is 11 days. However, in an exceptional instance, that involved both an appeal and a subject access request under the Data Protection Act, the entire matter took 341 days to process.

Euro-preparation Group

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 201W, on the Euro-preparation group, what the date of the autumn meeting is; and which local authorities have been invited.

Edward Balls: The next meeting between central Government officials and local authorities is provisionally scheduled for 21 September 2006. This is part of the regular programme of activities with stakeholders on euro preparations. On the local authorities involved in this work, I refer the hon. Member to the answer he received on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 512W, from the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Jim Fitzpatrick).

Households (Tamworth)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) single parent households with children under the age of 16 years and  (b) single-person households there were in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years; and what estimate he has made of the number of cohabiting couples living in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 June 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) single parent households with children under the age of 16 years and (b) single-person households there were in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years; and what the estimate is of the number of cohabiting couples living in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 15 years. (80127)
	Estimates of these figures are not produced on an annual basis for local areas. Available figures are from the censuses of 1991 and 2001. These are shown in the table below.
	
		
			  (1) Lone parent households with dependent children aged under 16, (2) one person households and (3) cohabiting couples in households: Tamworth, 1991 and 2001 
			   Number  Number 
			 1. Lone parent households with dependent children aged under 16 1,176 2,132 
			 2. One person households 6,017 8,319 
			 3. Cohabiting couple households (*)2,052 3,726 
			 (*) In 1991 responses to relationship questions were only processed for approximately 10% of the population. The figure in this table has been grossed up by a factor of 10.16 to account for this.  Sources: 1. 1991 Census Local Base Statistics Table 32 and 2001 Census data. 2. Table F in the Census 1991 New Parliamentary Constituency Monitor West Midlands &.Table KS20 in the Census 2001 Report for Parliamentary Constituencies. 3. 1991 & Table KS03 in the Census 2001 Report for Parliamentary Constituencies.

Households (Tamworth)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the average income per person in Tamworth constituency.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 June 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about average income per person in the Tamworth constituency. (80128)
	The ONS published estimates of household income for regions and local areas of the UK on 9 May 2006. Tamworth is within the NUTS 3 (Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics) area of Staffordshire County Council This is the most detailed level of geography for which estimates are produced.
	Table A contains estimates of total incomes per head and gross disposable household income (GDHI) per head for Staffordshire County Council.
	
		
			  Table A: Staffordshire county council NUTS3 
			  £ per head( 1) 
			   Total income( 2)  GDHI( 3) 
			 1995 12,675 8,212 
			 1996 13,180 8,695 
			 1997 13,639 9,126 
			 1998 14,356 9,401 
			 1999 14,952 9,880 
			 2000 15,969 10,478 
			 2001 16,878 11,179 
			 2002 17,455 11,574 
			 2003 18,370 12,157 
			 2004 19,325 12,552 
			 (1) Population measure is based upon mid-year estimate for total population. (2) All household income including employers' social contributions, imputed social contributions, social benefits and other current transfers received. (3) Gross disposable household income (GDHI) is the amount of money that households have available for spending or saving after deductions and expenditure associated with income, e.g. taxes and social contributions, and provision for future pension income.

Inheritance Tax

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library the preliminary regulatory impact assessment into the changes in the inheritance tax treatment of trusts announced in the Budget; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on what date the decision was taken to produce a full regulatory impact assessment into the changes in the inheritance tax treatment of trusts announced in the Budget; whether the document will be publicly available; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the effect on revenue to the Exchequer arising from the changes in the inheritance tax treatment of trusts announced in the Budget in the years 2008-09 to 2012-13; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Red Book contains estimates of the Exchequer consequences of Budget proposals.
	The preliminary regulatory impact assessment did no more than identify that, in accordance with Cabinet Office guidance, a full regulatory impact assessment was not required. In line with normal procedure, the preliminary assessment will not be published.

Inheritance Tax

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in inheritance tax in  (a) 1997 and  (b) the last year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is published on the HMRC website as follows:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/l_2_v2_dec05.pdf. http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_receipts/1_2_apr_06.pdf.

Ministers (Tax Treatment)

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answers of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 693-94W, on Ministers (tax treatment), what amount is assessed as taxable for each residence provided by or on behalf of the Government for Ministers, including those owned by charitable trusts.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 11 July 2005,  Official Report, column 394W.

Ministers (Tax Treatment)

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the impact of the repeal of section 295 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 on the tax position of Ministers.

Dawn Primarolo: There are no plans to repeal section 295 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003.

NHS Funding

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to make additional funding available to the Department of Health to assist in financial recovery of the NHS in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: No. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 June 2006,  Official Report, column 2028W.

Single Farm Payments

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding European Commission fines for not paying all of the single farm payment by 30 June; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a range of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy analysis, development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Stamp Duty

David Ruffley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many properties sold in  (a) Bury St. Edmunds constituency and  (b) the Suffolk county council area in each of the last three years attracted stamp duty at (i) zero per cent., (ii) 1 per cent., (iii) 3 per cent. and (iv) 4 per cent.

Edward Balls: Estimates of the number of property transactions for parliamentary constituencies and counties are only available for 2004-05 and 2005-06, and are given in the following table for Bury St. Edmunds and Suffolk, grouped by stamp duty band.
	
		
			   Property transactions attracting:  
			   0 per cent. rate  1 per cent. rate  3 per cent. rate  4 per cent. rate  Total 
			  Bury St. Edmunds  
			 2004-05 430 2,200 420 50 3,140 
			 2005-06 1,300 2,200 510 90 4,100 
			   
			  Suffolk  
			 2004-05 3,500 14,000 2,100 500 20,100 
			 2005-06 8,600 10,500 2,400 420 21,900 
		
	
	The number of transactions bearing stamp duty will be lower than the number shown in the non-zero bands due to the use of various reliefs, e.g. disadvantaged area relief, group relief, registered social landlord relief etc. There are also some lease transactions which fall in the 0 per cent. band on account of consideration, but which bear stamp duty on the lease rental.

Stamp Duty

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised in stamp duty from home sales in each local authority area in England and Wales in  (a) 1997-98 and  (b) 2005-06.

Edward Balls: This information is not available for 1997-98.
	Estimates of amounts of stamp duty payable from residential property sales for each local authority in the United Kingdom has been deposited in the House of Commons Library. The local authority relates to the location of the property on which the stamp duty was paid.

Stamp Duty

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce stamp duty on sustainable homes.

Edward Balls: All taxes are kept under review as part of the Budget process.

Tax Credits

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claimants of working tax credit continued to be paid in cases where the stop notice had not been received between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2006.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 16 June 2006
	The information requested is not available.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1273W, on tax credits, what data the Treasury has on the number of underpayments of tax credits which have now been paid; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: As I told the hon. Member in the answer he refers to,
	"HMRC repay underpayments or offset them against any outstanding overpayments, as soon as the underpayments are recognised".
	So the information is not available.

Tax Credits

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people living in mid Sussex received overpayments of  (a) child tax credit and  (b) working tax credit since April 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1421W.
	We do not produce statistics separately for child and working tax credits.

Tax Credits

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many households in  (a) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and  (b) Lewisham borough are receiving the Child Tax Credit;
	(2)  how many households in  (a) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and  (b) Lewisham borough are receiving the Working Tax Credit.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to the right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1421W.

Training Courses

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 14 June 2006,  Official Report, column 5806W, on training courses, if he will list the courses to which the answer refers; how many people have taken part in these courses in each of the last five years; and what the cost of these courses was in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: Breakthrough has been designed to help the Department achieve its aim of increasing diversity at all levels by harnessing the potential of individuals whatever their background. As a self- development programme it enables both mentors and delegates to make better use of their skills and abilities, and helps them in their careers and to compete more effectively for other opportunities.
	Ideally Breakthrough is looking for a mix of participants from various backgrounds on each programme. Experience has shown that there is great benefit in bringing together people from both majority and minority groups on programmes such as this.
	
		
			  Breakthrough 
			  Bids  £  Approx numbers 
			 2001-02 120,000 60 
			 2002-03 30,000 20 
			 2003-04 83,500 40 
			 2004-05 11,376 20 
			  10,765 20 
			 2005-06 Not run — 
			 Total 255,641 160 
		
	
	Other programmes include:
	
		
			£ 
			 2001-02 Personal development for men and women 27,000 
			 2002-03 Personal development for men and women 10,000 
			 2004-05 Culture 2000 29,845 
			 2006-07 DFID leadership development for women (SCS) 60,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Old Products (Former IR)( 1) 
			   Date ceased 
			 Personal Development for Women Ceased September 2002 
			 Springboard Ceased approximately November 2003 
			 Unlocking Potential ( Ethnic Minorities) Ceased approximately 2001 
			 (1 )It has not been possible to extract this data in the time given. 
		
	
	
		
			  Former Customs-PAEM( 1)  Training Events 2002 to 2006 
			  PAEM Programme  Event 
			 2002 to 2004 5 day residential event followed by 3 day residential follow-up event 
			 2005-06 2 x 1 day events, open learning package and a 1x 3 day residential event 
			 (1 )Positive action for Ethnic Minority. 
		
	
	
		
			   Number of events  Number of students  Cost per programme  Cost per student  Total cost (£) 
			 2001-02 2 23 12000 800 18,400 
			 2002-03 2 40 12000 800 32,000 
			 2003-04 (1)0 0 — — 0 
			 2004-05 2 30 8000 533 15,990 
			 2005-06 1 15 8000 533 7,995 
			 Totals 7 108 — — 74,385 
			 (1 )Product in review.

Under-age Pregnancies

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many girls under the age of 16 years  (a) became pregnant and  (b) gave birth in Tamworth constituency in each of the last 10 years, broken down by age.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 26 June 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many girls under the age of 16 years  (a) became pregnant and  (b) gave birth in the Tamworth constituency in each of the last 10 years, broken down by age. (80126)
	Numbers of conceptions under age 16 and the number of maternities in Tamworth County District for the years 1995-2004 are shown in the table below.
	Information on conceptions is routinely published for local authorities and strategic health authorities. Figures cannot be provided by Parliamentary Constituency because of the risk of disclosing individual's information due to small differences with local authority boundaries.
	ONS does not publish figures by single year of age below the age of 16 by either local or health authority and also does not release figures for individual years because of the risk of disclosing individual's information.
	Maternity figures cannot be provided for Tamworth Parliamentary Constituency for the same reason as that indicated above for conceptions.
	Annual numbers of maternities to girls aged under 16 and figures by individual year of age are too small to be released because of the risk of disclosing individual's information. For this reason only the total number of maternities in the 10 year period (1995-2004) is given in the table below.
	
		
			  Conceptions and maternities under age 16, Tamworth CD, 1995-2004( 1) 
			   Number 
			 Conceptions 168 
			 Maternities 24 
			 (1 )Conceptions for 2004 are provisional.

VAT

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason he chose not to apply to the European Commission for the reduced rate of VAT on repair and renovation work for domestic buildings by 31 March.

Dawn Primarolo: The VAT reduced rate for the renovation and repair of private dwellings is one of a number introduced into EU legislation on an experimental basis whose objective is to create employment opportunities by stimulating demand through lower prices. The Government have always chosen not to participate, as we believe that our employment objectives are better targeted through measures such as the welfare to work strategy and new deal, which have contributed to the 2.4 million rise in employment since 1997. We continue to take this view.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average annual administrative costs of collecting Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) have been in the last three years; what proportion of the revenue raised this represents; and how much VED was collected in total in 2005-06.

Stephen Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is as follows:
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Net receipts (£ million) 4,687 4,737 5,012 
			 Administrative costs (£ million) 110 120 124 
			 Percentage revenue raised 2.3 2.5 2.5

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Education

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many people took adult education courses  (a) funded and  (b) partly funded by his Department in (i) Lambeth and (ii) Vauxhall in the last three years;
	(2)  how many adult education courses his Department  (a) funded and  (b) partly funded in (i) Lambeth and (ii) Vauxhall in the last three years.

Bill Rammell: We do not hold information on the number of individual adult education courses that are funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) but we know the total number of learners aged over 19 on LSC funded courses in 2002/03 was 3.49 million, 3.43 million in 2003/04 and 3.46 million in 2004/05. These are national figures and include all LSC funded learners.

Air Miles

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many air miles have been accrued by senior civil servants in his Department in each of the last three years; and how they were used.

Parmjit Dhanda: This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

Apprenticeships

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in year 10 and above in London are on the apprenticeships scheme.

Phil Hope: There are 211 Key Stage 4 pupils in total in London on the Young Apprenticeship Programme, 45 in Year 10 and 166 in Year 11.

Child Abuse

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects the report commissioned by the Department into alleged child abuse related to witchcraft to be published.

Parmjit Dhanda: The report of the research commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills, to scope the problem of child abuse in England linked to belief in "possession" or "witchcraft", is being considered by Ministers across Government. We hope to be in a position to publish the report by the end of June, or soon thereafter.

Child Protection

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to seek representation of military establishments on local safeguarding children boards; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs) were set up in all English local authority areas by 1 April 2006. Government guidance on LSCBs forms chapter three of the revised "Working Together to Safeguard Children" which was published in April 2006. The LSCB guidance was also published separately in December 2005 to help local authorities and their partners set up LSCBs.
	The guidance makes it clear that in addition to the statutory members of LSCBs, local authorities should secure the involvement of other relevant local organisations including,
	"in areas where they have significant local activity, the armed forces".

Children, Young People and Families Grant

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  which organisations were unsuccessful in their application for funding under the Children, Young People and Families Grant programme; what each organisation's proposal was; how much funding each organisation sought; and why each application was rejected;
	(2)  how much funding has been allocated for each of the organisations accepted under the Children, Young People and Families Grant programme over the next three years.

Beverley Hughes: Over 1,400 applications were received for this grant, and many organisations submitted more than one application. Just over £17 million is being allocated to 67 applications from 65 organisations in 2006-07. Lists of successful organisations with their allocations and unsuccessful organisations are being placed in the Library of the House. The list of successful organisations can also be found on www.everychild matters.gov.uk/strategy/voluntary andcommunity/cypfgrant.
	The remainder of the information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Children, Young People and Families Grant

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills why the work of community family trusts previously funded under the MARS Grant programme did not continue under the Children, Young People and Families Grant programme.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 22 June 2006
	Organisations supported under the Marriage and Relationship Support Grant programme (MARS) continue to receive funding until their grant expires. Organisations funded through MARS were eligible to apply for funding to the Children, Young People and Families Grant programme. One Community Family Trust was among the 65 organisations funded through this Grant programme in 2006/07.

Connexions

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people have received support from Connexions in  (a) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and  (b) Lewisham borough in the past year.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department collects data on the number of interventions provided but not on the number of young people receiving support. In the year 2005-06 18,849 young people were counted in the Connexions cohort of young people in the borough of Lewisham. They received a total of 22,488 interventions. The Department does not hold this information at constituency level.
	Departmental guidance is that to count as an intervention there needs to be some element of assistance involving a substantial or meaningful exchange with the young person. As a rule of thumb this should be of enough significance to be noted in their client record. It would normally exclude straightforward referrals to specific opportunities e.g. job submissions, the provision of factual information and simple follow up to find out if the young person still wanted assistance.

Departmental Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will keep a separate record of the amount spent annually by his Department on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Parmjit Dhanda: My Department does not intend to keep a separate record of the amount spent on alcohol for hospitality purposes.
	The Department's internal guidance for general use is that public funds should not be used to purchase alcohol.
	It is accepted that there are some events, whose primary purpose is for non-civil servants, where not providing alcohol could be seen as unusual or cause embarrassment. It is done with due regard to value for money, any provision being modest and proportionate, and requires a senior manager's approval.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what incentives his Department offers to encourage staff to share vehicles when travelling to work.

Parmjit Dhanda: Car-sharing is one of a number of measures my Department encourages to enable staff to travel more sustainably. In general, we encourage staff, wherever possible, to use public transport or cycle to work especially those commuting to our London offices due to very limited car parking and traffic congestion.
	Our three sites outside London do facilitate car sharing by the provision of electronic site notice boards to enable staff to contact others who may wish to car share. The incentive is the greater likelihood of securing a free parking space.
	For staff commuting, especially to our London sites, we provide season ticket and cycle purchase loans for those who want them.

Education and Skills Committee

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action has been taken by his Department to implement Education and Skills Select Committee recommendations since the 2001-02 session; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department is unable to provide the information requested without incurring disproportionate cost. However, the Government in their responses to Committee recommendations make clear whether or not they are accepted.

Illegal Immigrants

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many illegal immigrants have been discovered to be employed by his Department in each year since 2001; in what capacities they were employed; how many were discovered as part of a criminal investigation; and what the nature of the charges brought against them were.

Parmjit Dhanda: I can confirm that that no illegal immigrants have been discovered to be employed by the Department.

Internet Plagiarism

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance his Department has issued to higher education institutions on how to respond to internet plagiarism.

Bill Rammell: We recognise that plagiarism is a serious matter. As higher education institutions are autonomous bodies they are responsible for determining what advice should be provided to their students on plagiarism, in all of its forms. The Quality Assurance Agency's Code of Practice and the Joint Information Systems Committee provide advice and guidance to institutions on dealing with this issue.

Internet Plagiarism

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if his Department will consider the introduction of a proscribed list of customised essay websites in order to reduce internet plagiarism.

Bill Rammell: The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) which provides advice and guidance to institutions on dealing with plagiarism, includes on its Plagiarism Advisory Service website a list of well-known European and US essay bank websites, to make academics and teachers aware of these sites. In its workshops with academic staff JISC also suggest that students are made aware that staff know of these sites and are also shown the poor quality of essays that are being offered.
	In addition, last November the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority appointed Professor Jean Underwood of Nottingham Trent University to advise it on further measures which might be taken in schools and colleges and by awarding bodies to reduce the risk of plagiarism from internet sources.

Internet Plagiarism

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures his Department is taking to tackle the availability of customised essay websites.

Bill Rammell: Higher education institutions, as autonomous bodies, are responsible for determining what advice should be provided to their students on plagiarism, and also what policies should be in place to detect plagiarism and determine disciplinary action. The Quality Assurance Agency's Code of Practice and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) provide advice and guidance to institutions on dealing with this issue. JISC includes on its Plagiarism Advisory Service website a list of well-known European and US essay bank websites, to make academics and teachers aware of these sites. In addition, last November the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority appointed Professor Jean Underwood of Nottingham Trent University to advise it on further measures which might be taken in schools and colleges and by awarding bodies to reduce the risk of plagiarism from internet sources.

Learning and Skills Council

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on recent trends in the  (a) provision and  (b) funding of health and safety training funded by the Learning and Skills Council.

Bill Rammell: The funding strategy that we announced last October included the decision for the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to cease funding provision from 2006-07 that is rightfully the responsibility of employers, such as health and safety training. This was part of our commitment to rebalance responsibilities among learners, employers and the state as well as ensuring that we direct resources to enable those without the basic skills for employability to receive the support they need.
	Following wide consultation on these changes the LSC has considered representations from key stakeholders and has agreed to allow some local discretion in 2006/07 to provide limited support for this provision depending on the assessment of need. Where this provision is part of a coherent curriculum offer supported by a clearly stated rationale then the provision will remain eligible for LSC funding.
	The LSC is committed to carrying out an impact assessment of these changes working with key stakeholders and partner organisations. The LSC will continue to monitor the position but feedback from individual colleges indicates that many will continue to offer health and safety courses to employers, mainly on a full cost basis.

Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which Government Bills sponsored by his Department he has bid for in the next Session of Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Leader of the House on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1431W.

Lip-reading

David Curry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many adult education courses in lip-reading were available at educational institutions in England in  (a) 2000 and  (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: Lip-reading courses are provided by a range of organisations including further education colleges, local authorities, social services and voluntary sector organisations. We do not have detailed information at a national level on the number of courses available. However, we have been clear that this provision is a priority and we are working with Hearing Concern to identify any areas where there is an unmet need for lip-reading provision and how this can be addressed.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which Minister in his Department has ministerial responsibility for sustainability and biodiversity.

Parmjit Dhanda: I have responsibility for issues of sustainability and biodiversity within the Department for Education and Skills.

Ministerial Travel

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent on foreign travel by his Department in each of the last eight years.

Parmjit Dhanda: Details of official foreign travel expenditure incurred by the Department over the last seven years are set out as follows;
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005/06 250,521.17 
			 2004/05 179,765.46 
			 2003/04 218,358.27 
			 2002/03 243,096.69 
			 2001/02 510,242.47 
			 2000/01 831,667.61 
			 1999/2000 791,181.69 
		
	
	Since 1999 the Government have published, on an annual basis, the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. This information is available in the Library. Information for the financial year 2004-05 was published on 21 July 2005,  Official Report, column 158WS. Information for the financial year 2005-06 is in the process of being collated and will be published shortly.
	All foreign travel undertaken by DfES Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the "Ministerial Code" and the "Civil Service Management Code".

Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on how many occasions  (a) civil servants and  (b) special advisers in his Department have stayed overnight in (i) five star, (ii) four star and (iii) three star hotels s in each of the last three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: There is no central record on the star rating of accommodation used by civil servants as the choice of hotel is influenced by the cost of an overnight stay in the hotel.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list those occasions when the recommendations of a report from the parliamentary ombudsman have been  (a) rejected and  (b) partly rejected by his Department since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: I am not aware of any occasion since 1997 in the Department, its predecessor or associated executive agencies or NDPBs when the recommendations of the parliamentary ombudsman were not fully accepted and implemented.

Portland PR

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department does not maintain a central list of such meetings. Civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and business delivery. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code and Guidance for civil servants on contacts with lobbyists and people outside Government.
	The Department has no record of contracting with Portland PR.

Positive Parenting

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much his Department plans to spend on the promotion of positive parenting over the next three years;
	(2)  what measures his Department has introduced for the promotion of positive parenting in each of the last three years; and at what cost in each year.

Parmjit Dhanda: My Department, via the Parenting Fund, supports voluntary and community sector projects that enable an increase in parenting provision, and access to that provision for groups that are currently less well served. These projects provide a range of information, advice and guidance—including the promotion of positive parenting.
	Since its announcement in 2002 to date, the Parenting Fund has provided £22 million to support 154 projects. An additional £20 million will provide support from 2006-08 for a further 137 projects in 23 geographic areas.

Staff Surveys

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff surveys have been conducted in his Department in each of the last three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: In the last three years, my Department has completed two full on-line staff surveys and three mini telephone surveys, which surveyed a cross representative sample of staff across the Department.

Unemployed People

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department plans to take to encourage long-term unemployed people in Hartlepool constituency to return to education and training.

Phil Hope: Responsibility for encouraging long-term unemployed people to return to education and training is shared between the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills.
	Both Departments, along with their respective delivery agencies Jobcentre Plus (JCP) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), are working closely together to ensure that long-term unemployed people have the skills they need to secure sustainable and productive jobs. There has already been significant progress in joint working between the LSC and JCP and the Hartlepool area is now covered by joint delivery planning in order to meet local employment and skills needs. As part of this joint delivery plan, the LSC Tees Valley is currently piloting access trials to enable JCP customers in receipt of allowances to access LSC-funded provision. This enables customers to continue to receive their allowances while improving their skills with recognised qualifications and improve their employability.
	The Government's Skills Strategy sends out a strong signal about the priority we attach to helping adults with few or no qualifications to attain a platform of wider employability skills. All those on jobseeker's allowance or income-related benefits and their dependants receive free tuition in further education, in addition to the support available through their local JCP office. Unemployed people also have access to in-depth advice about their education and training options through the Learndirect one-stop telephone and on-line advice service.
	The Government do, however, recognise that more needs to be done to tackle long-term unemployment and published a Green Paper in January 2006, "A New Deal for Welfare: Empowering People to Work", including measures to help low skilled adults secure employment through the New Deal for Skills. These include piloting skills coaching in a number of JCP districts and our latest evidence shows that skills coaching is helping long-term unemployed people improve their employability skills.
	In addition, the Chancellor announced in his Budget Report that Lord Leitch's review of skills would be extended to include better alignment of measures to tackle worklessness to support labour market flexibility, better employment outcomes and greater progression to productive and sustainable jobs for those with skill needs. We expect Sandy Leitch's report this autumn and my Department looks forward to working with the Department for Work and Pensions to take forward Lord Leitch's proposals.

University Students

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many university students in England were resident in Scotland in the last three academic years for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The latest available information is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Scottish domiciled( 1)  enrolments at English HE institutions 
			  Level of study  Mode of study  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05 
			 Postgraduate Full-time 1,665 1,670 1,620 
			  Part-time 3,510 3,525 3,620 
			  Total 5,175 5,195 5,240 
			  
			 Undergraduate Full-time 6,010 5,885 5,705 
			  Part-time 15,075 15,900 16,125 
			  Total 21,085 21,790 21,830 
			  
			 Grand total — 26,260 26,985 27,070 
			 (1) Domicile refers to the country of the student's permanent or home address prior to entry to the programme of study.   Notes:  1. Figures are on a HESA Standard Registration Population basis.  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.   Source:  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record data.

Young Carers

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what procedures are in place  (a) to identify and  (b) to support young carers;
	(2)  what publicly funded services exist to support families with young carers;
	(3)  how many children have been identified as young carers.

Parmjit Dhanda: Anyone concerned that a child may be a "child in need", whether as a young carer or for any other reason, should refer the case to local children's services for an initial assessment. Children and their families are also able to make such contact direct.
	Section 1 of the Carers (Recognition and Services) Act 1995 provides that at the time a local authority assess a person's needs for community care services or assess the needs of a disabled child, an individual who provides or intends to provide a substantial amount of care on a regular basis for that person has the right to request an assessment of his ability to provide and continue to provide care. The authority must take that assessment into account when making any decision about services for the cared for person or to meet the needs of the child, as the case may be.
	The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act 2004 ("the 2004 Act") makes three principal changes to the law with the objective of providing further support for carers and helping to ensure that they are not placed at a disadvantage because of the care they provide. First, the Act requires local authorities to inform carers, in certain circumstances, that they may be entitled to an assessment. Second, when undertaking a carer's assessment, the local authority must consider whether the carer works, undertakes any form of education, training or leisure activity, or wishes to do any of those things. The effect of this is that the local authority will have to ask the carer about those activities during an assessment, and then take this into account when making the decision about whether the needs of the cared for person call for the provision of any services by them. Third, the Act provides for co-operation between local authorities and other bodies in relation to the planning and provision of services that are relevant to carers.
	Guidance makes clear that children who are carers should routinely be assessed under the Children Act 1989. The Children Act 1989 already gives local authorities a duty under paragraph 1(2) of schedule 2 to publicise their services to families with children in need and to take steps to ensure that those who might benefit from the services receive the information.
	The 2001 census recorded a total of 149,942 young carers in England and Wales, of whom 24,266 were providing 20 or more hours of care per week.

Youth Councils

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many youth councils are in operation; and where each is located.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information on the number of youth councils in operation or their location is not held centrally.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Departmental Finance Directors

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the  (a) name,  (b) professional and academic qualifications and  (c) relevant experience are of the finance director of her Department.

Hilary Armstrong: The Cabinet Office finance director is Jerry Page, who has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants since 1991. He has worked in Government for over 30 years, 22 of them in finance. He spent much of this time in Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, working in a variety of finance roles which included implementation of financial systems (purchasing; costing; asset management; accounts receivable; budgeting), operation of financial systems (purchasing; accounts payable; accounts receivable), implementation of internal charging. His two previous roles before joining the Department were as head of investment appraisal and public/private partnerships for HMRC and, immediately prior to joining, head of financial operations in the Valuation Office Agency.

Departmental Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will keep a separate record of the amount spent annually by her Department on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Hilary Armstrong: The Department does not keep a separate record of expenditure incurred on alcohol for hospitality purposes and at present does not plan to introduce a process which records this expenditure separately on the accounting system.
	All Cabinet Office expenditure on official hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in "Government Accounting".

Departmental Websites

Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many websites there are within her responsibilities; and what the total cost of maintaining such websites was in the last year for which figures are available.

Edward Miliband: There are 19 websites within the Department's responsibilities. The total cost of these sites for 2004-05 was £570,570.45.
	These figures exclude websites relating to the areas of policy brought within the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster's responsibility at the recent Machinery of Government changes, as the future of these sites are subject to review.

Deputy Prime Minister

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on what date the Deputy Prime Minister first moved into the Admiralty Office at 26 Whitehall following the abolition of the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Hilary Armstrong: As a result of the machinery of Government changes which followed the 2001 General Election the Deputy Prime Minister was based in Dover House until September 2002, when the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister moved into 26 Whitehall.

Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which Private Members' Bills were drafted by her Department, or the Cabinet Office, in each Session since 1997; and which of those received Royal Assent.

Hilary Armstrong: Members will consider a range of possible subjects before introducing their Private Members' Bills.
	Government draftsmen do draft some Bills in advance which are available as one of the options for Members to consider before they make their selection.
	However, Members may make subsequent amendments or revisions to a Government drafted Bill, or use it as the basis for a Private Members' Bill in the future.
	The information requested is therefore not collected.

Youth and Community Service

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will place in the Library a copy of the advertisement for the Chair of the Youth and Community Service.

Edward Miliband: A copy of the advertisement for the Chair of the Russell Commission implementation body has been placed in the Library.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Court Fines

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many vehicles were clamped as a result of the owner not paying a fine in each year since 1997; and how many fines were subsequently paid as a result of the clamp being applied in each year.

Harriet Harman: The specific sanction of clamping cars for non-payment of fines was introduced in the Courts Act 2003, the phased implementation of which was completed on 31 March 2006. Since January 2006, 820 clamping orders have been issued although data are not held centrally on the number of cars that are consequently clamped or on fines paid as a direct result of clamping. Data are not available nationally prior to January 2006.

Court Fines

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many  (a) male and  (b) female offenders paid their fine on the day of the hearing in each year since 1999, broken down by age group.

Harriet Harman: This information is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.

Isle of Wight Prisons (Court Cases)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the total cost was of fees remitted in the Newport Isle of Wight county court in the cases initiated recently against the Home Office by inmates of Isle of Wight prisons; and what comparable figures are available of the total cost of fees remitted in each county court in the last year for which information is available.

Harriet Harman: Approximately 50 cases have been issued by inmates at Albany prison in which fees valued at around £6,000 have been remitted. The full information requested has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Prisoners (Electoral Register)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance her Department has issued to local authority electoral registration departments on prisoners on the electoral register and their status in relation to elections.

Bridget Prentice: The Department for Constitutional Affairs has issued no guidance on this subject.
	The Representation of the People Act 2000 clarified the right to register and vote of prisoners detained on remand. Circular RPA 432 issued in April 2000 by the Home Office (at that time responsible for electoral policy) brought these provisions to the attention of local electoral registration officers. The Home Office also contributed to guidance issued in January 2001 by the Association of Electoral Administrators, which made clear that while remand prisoners were entitled to register and vote, convicted prisoners were not.
	The Government are committed to a full public consultation on the enfranchisement of convicted prisoners, in response to the judgment of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Hirst  v. UK. The consultation process will include consideration of practical issues around the registration of convicted prisoners, which will inform any subsequent guidance that is produced on the issue.

Salisbury Combined Court House

Robert Key: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when construction work will commence on the Salisbury combined court house; and when the new building will be in service.

Harriet Harman: It is planned that construction work on the Salisbury combined court house will commence in March 2007 and the new building will be in service during the autumn of 2008.

HOME DEPARTMENT

32 (The Royal) Squadron

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions on which he has used 32 (The Royal) Squadron since 2001; what the approximate take-off and landing times were of each flight; whether the carbon emissions were offset in respect of each flight; which other transport options were considered for each flight; why other transport options were not used; for what official duties each flight was used; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The rules on the use of special flights are set out in "Travel by Ministers". The annual lists of overseas travel by Cabinet Ministers costing over £500 set out when special flights are used, and the purpose of each trip. Copies are available in the Library. Special flights are only used as a last resort once all alternative transport options have been considered.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers have been in detention for  (a) more than four weeks,  (b) more than 13 weeks,  (c) more than 26 weeks and  (d) more than 52 weeks.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 June 2006
	Quarterly snapshots are published showing the number of people detained under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter and these can be broken down by length of detention. The following table shows the length of detention of persons who had claimed asylum at some stage and were detained as at 25 March 2006. Information on the number of persons detained is published in the Quarterly Asylum Bulletin, on the Home Office research development and statistics directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		
			  Asylum seekers recorded as being in detention in the United Kingdom solely under Immigration Act powers as at 25 March 2006, by length of detention( 1,2) 
			  Length of detention( 3)  Asylum seekers( 4) 
			 4 weeks or less 955 
			 More than 4 weeks to 13 weeks 465 
			 More than 13 weeks to 26 weeks 175 
			 More than 26 weeks to 52 weeks 120 
			 1 year or more 30 
			 Total 1,745 
			 (1) Figures rounded to the nearest 5 may not sum due to rounding and exclude persons detained in police cells and those detained under both criminal and immigration powers. (2) Includes persons recorded by IND as detained in Prison Service establishments. (3) Relates to current period of detention only. (4) Persons detained under Immigration Act powers who are recorded as having sought asylum at some stage.

Asylum Seekers

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications have been made since 31 December 2005 by citizens of countries to which the Government will not return failed asylum seekers for safety reasons.

Liam Byrne: By definition, there are no countries to which the Government will not return failed asylum seekers for safety reasons. Each asylum and human rights claim is considered on its individual merits in accordance with our international obligations and taking full account of conditions in the country concerned as they impact on the individual. Those found to be in need of international protection are provided with it. Failed asylum seekers of all nationalities who have been found by the Home Office and the appeals process not to be in need of international protection and have no legal basis of stay in the UK are expected to return to their country of origin and may have their removal enforced. The one exception to this is Zimbabwe, to where we have undertaken not to enforce returns pending the outcome of an Asylum and Immigration Tribunal hearing in early July.

Crime Statistics

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the recorded level of violent crime was in Wellingborough in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) 2005-06.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 22 June 2006
	Wellingborough is a Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area. Partnerships were set up under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and data are only available from 1999-2000. Data for 2005-06 are due to be published on 20 July.

Crime Trends

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has commissioned on crime trends in the UK following the accession of EU countries in May 2004; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: No research has been commissioned on crime trends in the UK following the accession of EU countries in May 2004. However, the Home Office does routinely monitor and publish trends in crime, as measured by the British Crime Survey (BCS) and police recorded crime, on an annual and quarterly basis. The latest quarterly publication is available on the web at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb0606.pdf
	This publication shows that since peaking in 1995 total BCS crime has fallen each year. The next annual publication of crime trends is due to be published in July 2006.

Criminal Records Bureau

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Criminal Records Bureau checks have been carried out, broken down by the number of weeks taken to process the check.

Joan Ryan: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has issued 8,936,032 Disclosures up to and including the financial year 2005-06. The number of Disclosures issued in each financial year is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002-03 1,441,704 
			 2003-04 2,287,109 
			 2004-05 2,434,290 
			 2005-06 2,772,929 
		
	
	Information on the number of weeks taken to process the checks during these periods is not available in the format requested.
	The CRB operates to a set of published service standards (PSS), which for the financial year 2005-06 was to process 93 per cent. of Standard Disclosure applications within two weeks and 90 per cent. of Enhanced Disclosure applications within four weeks. The CRB's performance for that financial year against the PSS for Standard Disclosure was 99.6 per cent. During this same period, the performance against the PSS for Enhanced Disclosure was 84.6 per cent. The CRB recently published its Five-Year Strategy and Business Plan 2006-07 and the PSS for the financial year 2006-07 for Standard Disclosures is 90 per cent. within 10 days and for Enhanced Disclosures 90 per cent. within 28 days.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff in his Department did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in each of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the total number of staff in each case.

Liam Byrne: The number of staff that did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the total of staff in each case, is shown in the table.
	
		
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			   Number( 1)  Percentage( 2)  Number( 1)  Percentage( 2)  Number( 1)  Percentage( 2) 
			 Home Office(3) 127 1.01 148 1.00 119 0.69 
			 Identity and Passport Service 19 0.82 12 0.57 12 0.54 
			 HM Prison Service 801 2.00 842 2.10 882 2.30 
			 (1) Of staff receiving 'unacceptable mark'. (2 )Of staff receiving 'unacceptable mark'/centrally recorded annual report marks awarded in period. (3) Including Immigration and Nationality Directorate.

EU Citizens (Criminal Records)

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance has been given to immigration officers at UK entry ports on the entry to the UK of individuals from EU accession countries who have a criminal record in their own country; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Guidance for immigration staff is set out in the immigration directorate instructions. This makes it clear that where an immigration officer is aware that a national of one of the EU accession states has a criminal record and, that as a result of that record, a genuine present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society is perceived, then an immigration decision to exclude may be made.

Knives

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many knives have been handed in during the amnesty in Tamworth constituency.

Tony McNulty: Figures for the number of items handed in during the first week of the knife amnesty have been collected at force level. A total of 17,715 items were surrendered in England and Wales. Staffordshire police reported that they received 383 items.

Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which Government Bills sponsored by his Department he has bid for in the next Session of Parliament; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which Government Bills sponsored by his Department remain to be introduced during the 2005-06 Session.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1431W.

Mohammed Abdul Kahar

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to discover the identity of the Whitehall source quoted by the  News of The World as stating that Abul Koyair fired the weapon which wounded Mohammed Abdul Kahar in the incident on 2 June; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 12 June 2006
	It has been the practice of successive Governments not to comment on alleged leaks of information.

National Firearms Licensing Management System

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the data cleansing exercise required of police databases before the full implementation of the National Firearms Licensing Management System.

Vernon Coaker: Live testing of the National Firearms Licensing Management System (NFLMS) began in two forces on 5 June and if successful it will be rolled out to all forces by March 2007. The data cleansing exercise is needed before an interface with PNC can be successfully made. This will be carried out on a force by force basis after each has been migrated to NFLMS.

Passport Service

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures the Passport Service follows when a passport is reported as not having reached its destination; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: Where a passport is reported as not received by Secure Mail Services (SMS), who provide the Identity and Passport Service's (IPS) secure delivery service, information held is checked to establish the date, time and location of delivery. Couriers record details of the property they deliver to and these are compared to the description given by the applicant.
	SMS investigate all such losses and provide a response to the Identity and Passport Service within one week.
	Where IPS is satisfied that the applicant has not received the passport the document is recorded on the IPS Lost and Stolen database to ensure it cannot be used. A replacement passport is then provided to the customer.
	In the rare event of the theft of passports while in the delivery process, they are immediately cancelled, placed on the Lost Stolen and Recovered database and reissued.

Passport Service

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of passports dispatched by courier did not arrive at their destination in the last period for which figures are available.

Joan Ryan: From the commencement of Secure Delivery in February 2004 to January 2006, Secure Mail Services have delivered around 13 million passports and supporting documents. The estimated number of losses during this two year period is 1,626, equating to less than 0.013 per cent. of items despatched.
	During the last year of the Royal Mail contract in 2003, 3,593 passports were reported as undelivered, equating to around 0.06 per cent. of passports issued. The introduction of Secure Delivery has therefore seen an 80 per cent. reduction in the annual number of losses from within the delivery process.

Police

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers  (a) were recruited and  (b) left the service in Greater London in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06.

Tony McNulty: Police personnel data are collected on a financial year basis and the latest information available is for 2004-05.
	In 2004-05 the City of London police force recruited 14 full-time equivalent (FTE) police community support officers (PCSOs), and no PCSOs were recorded as leaving the force during this period.
	During the same period the Metropolitan Police recruited 971 PCSOs (FTE), and 249 PCSOs (FTE) left the force.

Police

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will postpone the merger of Cumbria and Lancashire police authorities to allow time for further consultation.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 22 June 2006
	As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 19 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 1057-58, we hope to lay the Order to provide for the merger of Cumbria and Lancashire police forces before the summer recess. This is a voluntary merger supported by both chief constables and both police authorities and we see no need for additional consultation.

Police

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider the merger of Essex police force in the event that the Essex-wide consultation being run by Essex county council and Essex police authority demonstrates public opposition to the merger.

Tony McNulty: Under the terms of the Police Act 1996, before making an order for a merger of police forces (other than where the merger is a voluntary one), the Secretary of State must give notice of his intentions to every affected council and allow for a period of objections.
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary will of course consider any objections he receives to any proposed merger very carefully.

Police

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent meetings  (a) he and  (b) representatives from his Department have had with (i) Essex county council, (ii) Essex police authority and (iii) the chief constable of Essex police regarding the proposed merger of Essex police force.

Tony McNulty: Home Office officials have held meetings with the Essex chief constable and the police authority jointly on 29 March and 24 May, with the deputy chief constable on 19 May, and with the police authority on 28 April. I held a meeting with the leader of Essex county council on 31 May.

Police

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures will be included in the planned reorganisation of police forces to improve responses to local neighbourhood concerns in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) Crosby and Formby and  (c) Merseyside.

Tony McNulty: By April 2007, neighbourhood policing will have been introduced to every community in England and Wales, and by April 2008 every area will have its own dedicated neighbourhood policing team. Neighbourhood policing puts local people's own concerns and priorities at the heart of local policing. Neighbourhood policing teams will be highly visible, will engage with communities to understand their priorities, and will tackle these issues in partnership with local partners. Neighbourhood policing will be protected and supported by the proposed reorganisation of police forces by getting more resources to the front line and keeping them there. The creation of strategic forces to deal with major investigations or public order incidents will help safeguard local policing by reducing the need to abstract officers from neighbourhood policing teams.
	I understand that neighbourhood policing is well established in many parts of Merseyside police force area (which helped to pilot the neighbourhood policing approach) including Crosby and Formby.

Police Operation (Forest Gate)

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Cabinet Office briefing room mechanism (COBRA) considered the merits of the anti-terrorist police operation in Forest Gate on 2 June 2006 in advance of the operation taking place.

Tony McNulty: The decision on whether to mount any anti-terrorist operation is an operational matter for the police. A meeting of officials was held in the Cabinet Office briefing room, at which the Metropolitan police informed relevant departments of their intention to conduct this operation and its likely scale given the public safety issues involved. Both the merits of the operation and how it was to be conducted were matters decided solely by the Metropolitan police.

Police Vehicles

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) injuries and  (b) fatalities have been recorded in London in each of the past five years which were sustained as a result of a collision involving a police vehicle; and in how many of those incidents the police vehicle was travelling above the speed limit, broken down by borough.

Tony McNulty: The available information for the numbers of casualties and degree of injury from road traffic collisions resulting from immediate/emergency response and police pursuits on public roads involving the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police is provided in the table. Figures are not held centrally at individual borough level.
	Figures are not held centrally on those incidents where police vehicles were travelling above the speed limit.
	
		
			  Degree of injury from road traffic collisions involving police forces in the London area 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			  City of London  
			  Degree of injury:  
			 Fatal 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Serious 0 1 0 1 0 
			 Other 2 6 0 1 1 
			 Total 2 7 0 2 1 
			  Metropolitan Police  
			  Degree of injury:  
			 Fatal 6 2 5 4 4 
			 Serious 40 51 14 21 23 
			 Other 628 607 (1)— 600 724 
			 Total 674 660 (1)— 625 751 
			 (1 )The Metropolitan Police are unable to provide data for 2002-03.

Psilocin/Psilocybin

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many kilograms of  (a) psilocin and  (b) psilocybin were seized in each of the last 10 years.

Vernon Coaker: The requested data cannot be separately identified from 'other class A' drug seizure figures.

Security Industry

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 359W, on the security industry, when the Department expects to clear the backlog of licences.

Vernon Coaker: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) has a target of processing 80 per cent. of all applications within six weeks, measured from the date that a properly completed application enters the processing system. Due to receiving a large number of late applications, the SIA currently has a backlog waiting to enter the system. This is currently adding between two and four weeks to the processing time, so it is now taking up to 10 weeks to process most applications. As of 13 June there were 7,933 applications for the manned guarding sector in this backlog. The SIA has put significant additional resources into clearing this backlog, and expect it will have been cleared by early August.

Sexual Attacks

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sexual attacks there have been in England and Wales by people falsely posing as taxi drivers in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available from the recorded crime statistics because the data series does not collect details on offenders.

Terrorism Act

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) arrested,  (b) charged and  (c) convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 were from (i) Coventry and (ii) the West Midlands region.

Tony McNulty: Statistics on the number of people arrested, charged and convicted under the Terrorism Act (2000) are published on the Home Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/terrorism-and-the-law/terrorism-act.
	These statistics are not however collated according to force or area.

Trinidad and Tobago

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role and activity of the UK Police Task Force in Trinidad and Tobago.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no UK Police Task Force in Trinidad and Tobago. The Government of Trinidad and Tobago have recruited 39 police officers, most of whom are retired, from the UK to work as part of Trinidad and Tobago's Special Anti-Crime Unit. Questions on their role would be for the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to answer. The UK has provided substantial other assistance to the security and defence forces in Trinidad and Tobago and continues to support the Government's efforts to tackle serious crime.

Wheel Clamping

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set a limit on the amount that can be charged by wheel clamping companies for  (a) the removal of a wheel clamp,  (b) the recovery of a vehicle that has been removed and  (c) vehicle storage costs.

Vernon Coaker: Under the Private Security Industry Act 2001, the Security Industry Authority has responsibility for licensing vehicle immobilisers, to help ensure that vehicle immobilisation on private land is conducted in a responsible manner. The Government have no plans to set limits on these fees.

Young Offenders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will increase funding to youth worker programmes dealing with the causes of crime committed by young people.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Prevention programmes for those young people at risk of getting involved in crime and antisocial behaviour are funded through the Youth Justice Board and delivered by local Youth Offending Teams (YOTs). The Government have recently announced an additional £45 million funding for targeted youth crime and ASB prevention activities for those young people at most risk. This increase in funding means that all YOTs now have dedicated money to spend on prevention. Programmes are delivered by a range of multi-agency staff, including youth workers, enabling a wide variety of experience and expertise to be brought together. The new funding has been allocated to local YOTs and areas are beginning to deliver new prevention services from June 2006.

Young Offenders

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the formula is by which the £45 million given to the Youth Justice Board as part of its youth prevention budget is allocated to youth offending teams.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 21 June 2006
	The overall allocation from the Youth Justice Board (YJB) to Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) for prevention programmes totals £59 million, which includes existing Youth Inclusion Programme (YIP) funding of £14 million, as well as the £45 million of additional funding. The additional funding was allocated differently in England and Wales, as the Welsh Government became involved in devising the formula for the latter.
	For the 138 YOTs in England, the allocation was based on the same funding formula as that used for the core support grant to YOTs. This formula weights each area's allocation according to the following elements: 10 to 17 population (40 per cent.); size of area (10 per cent.); and six deprivation indices, including income and employment (50 per cent.).
	For the 18 YOTs in Wales, the allocation was based on a new funding formula devised by the All Wales Youth Offending Strategy Group. The formula weights each YOT's allocation according to the following elements: 10 to 17 population (50 per cent.); sparsity (low population density, leading to difficulties accessing services and greater cost of providing them) (13.33 per cent.); five deprivation indices on income, employment, health, education and housing (26.66 per cent.); and caseload (10 per cent.)
	In some areas, YOTs were already receiving money for specific prevention programmes (YIPs) from an existing funding stream.
	When the new funding formula was applied, the effect in these areas would have been to reduce the overall funding allocated to prevention. To avoid this and to allow them to begin to develop additional prevention services, funding for the affected YOTs was adjusted so that they all received an amount of at least £20,000 more than they were previously receiving.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Barker Review

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for the implementation of the recommendations of the Barker Review of Housing Supply.

Yvette Cooper: The Government's plan for implementing Kate Barker's recommendations was set out in its response to the Barker Review on 5 December. I have placed a copy of the response in the Library of the House. In the response, the Government signalled their ambition to provide more homes for future generations through a step change in housing policy.
	The response comprised a range of measures addressing the full range of Kate Barker's recommendations, including among others: an ambition to increase the level of housing supply to 200,000 per year over the next decade; a commitment to make Social Housing supply a priority in CSR07; a £40 million start up fund for infrastructure projects for new growth points and consultations on a Planning-gain Supplement and Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3), responses to which are currently being considered.

Benefits Claimants

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were in receipt of  (a) housing benefit and  (b) council tax benefit in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement

James Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Income support (IS) and IS minimum income guarantee (MIG) caseloads: Great Britain each November 1997 to 2005 
			  November  All IS  MIG  Non-MIG 
			 1997 3,956,100 1,673,700 2,282,400 
			 1998 3,842,000 1,614,500 2,227,500 
			 1999 3,843,900 1,591,300 2,252,600 
			 2000 3,928,900 1,669,800 2,259,200 
			 2001 3,985,500 1,727,000 2,258,500 
			 2002 3,994,800 1,750,500 2,244,300 
			 2003 2,232,800 13,000 2,219,800 
			 2004 2,177,900 10,800 2,167,100 
			 2005 2,136,700 9,600 2,127,100 
		
	
	
		
			  Pension credit caseloads: Great Britain each November 2003 to 2005 
			  November  Number 
			 2003 2,084,700 
			 2004 2,629,580 
			 2005 2,708,050 
		
	
	
		
			  Income based jobseeker's allowance (JSA(IB)) caseloads: Great Britain each November 1997 to 2005 
			  November  Number 
			 1997 1,041,300 
			 1998 951,200 
			 1999 856,300 
			 2000 743,400 
			 2001 663,500 
			 2002 635,300 
			 2003 599,300 
			 2004 565,700 
			 2005 647,900 
		
	
	
		
			  Housing benefit (HB) and council tax benefit (CTB) caseloads: Great Britain each November 1997 to 2005 
			  November  HB  CTB 
			 1997 4,546,650 5,393,820 
			 1998 4,382,390 5,221,710 
			 1999 4,147,870 4,959,480 
			 2000 3,900,620 4,674,580 
			 2001 3,818,400 4,608,390 
			 2002 3,796,260 4,577,690 
			 2003 3,806,590 4,666,910 
			 2004 3,943,900 4,897,500 
			 2005 3,975,230 4,993,000 
			  Notes: 1. PC/HB/CTB figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  2. IS/JSA(IB) figures are rounded to the nearest 100.  3. HB/CTB figures for any non-responding authorities have been estimated.  4. HB figures exclude any extended payment cases.  5. CTB figures exclude any second adult rebate cases.  6. JSA(IB) figures and IS figures for November 1997 and 1998 are derived by applying 5 per cent. proportions to 100 per cent. WPLS data are therefore subject to sampling variation.  7. Some JSA(IB) claimants may also have entitlement to benefit via the contributory route.  8. Totals may not sum due to rounding.  9. Pension credit replaced MIG on 6 October 2003.  10. Overlaps between benefits have not been removed.   Source:  DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS); Information Directorate 5 per cent. samples; and Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Quarterly 100 per cent. caseload stock-count taken in November 1997 to November 2005.

Biodiversity

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department plans to take to monitor the extent to which public bodies which report to her comply, from October, with their duty to conserve biodiversity in exercising their functions, under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

Yvette Cooper: Under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, all public bodies have a duty to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity in the exercising of their functions. There is no statutory obligation on Departments to monitor the extent to which public bodies comply with this duty. However, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is working with a wide range of partners to develop guidance for public bodies to support the implementation of this duty and will involve all relevant Departments on the development of guidance.

Biodiversity

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 20 December 2005,  Official Report, column 2663W, on biodiversity (planning applications), what progress has been made on the incorporation of a question relating to biodiversity interests into the standard planning application form; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: We have agreed with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, English Nature and Association of Local Government Ecologists the wording of a question on biodiversity that will be included in the standard application form for full and outline planning permission.

Biodiversity

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Minister in her Department is responsible for monitoring her Department's compliance with its duty under section 74 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to have regard to the purpose of conserving biological diversity in carrying out its functions; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Under section 74 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, Ministers and Government Departments have a duty to have regard to the purpose of conserving biological diversity. This has been replaced by a similar provision under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act which comes into effect on the 1 October 2006. There is no statutory duty to monitor compliance with this duty. However, the Department for Communities and Local Government and its predecessor the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have taken a number of steps to benefit biodiversity including:
	Introducing Planning Policy Statement 9 on Biodiversity and Geological Conservation and an associated guide to good practice prepared jointly with English Nature and Defra;
	Working to introduce Sustainable Community Strategies as an evolution of Community Strategies, thereby supporting Local Strategic Partnerships in placing greater emphasis on sustainability issues such as biodiversity (see the recent consultation on our website at http://www.communities.gov. uk/index.asp?id=1162320);
	Setting out, in our Sustainable Development Action Plan, our intention to issue a draft biodiversity action plan for the major non-office estate by December 2006.

Building Regulations

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures are in place to assess compliance with building regulations.

Angela Smith: Local authorities building control departments or approved inspectors, a private sector alternative, are responsible for checking compliance with the building regulations. They do this by considering written proposals, sometimes in the form of plans, and often by inspecting building works during construction. When the work has finished and they are satisfied that it complies they can issue a completion certificate, or when an approved inspector has been engaged, a final certificate.

Building Regulations

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of levels of compliance with part L of the building regulations among building control officers; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: As part of the comprehensive review leading to the recent amendment of part L of the building regulations, my officials engaged with building control bodies and industry about levels of compliance and on ways that this could be improved. This work influenced the amendment and procedures that came into effect in April 2006 and the ongoing dissemination of training for builders and building control officers.

Central Manchester Development Corporation

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department holds the records of the Central Manchester Development Corporation.

Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold the records of the Central Manchester Development Corporation centrally. However some of the records are held by the Government office for the north-west.

Coalfield Regeneration Trust

John Mann: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the 50 constituencies which have received the highest level of funding from the Coalfield Regeneration Trust since its inception.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The information is not available in the form requested. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust, which operates throughout the English coalfields, is an independent grant giving body that seeks to spearhead the social and economic regeneration of the coalfields. Grants awarded by the trust range from small grants to local groups to larger awards that benefit coalfields more widely, sometimes at regional or national level. Grants are not constituency specific, with even small grants often benefiting areas outside of the constituency within which the group securing the grant is based. It is not therefore practicable to produce a list of constituencies which have received the highest level of funding. It should be noted that any list would change once a subsequent round of grants was released by the CRT, and therefore could significantly alter should a grant of considerable value be given to an organisation based in a constituency within a coalfield area.

Compulsory Land Purchases

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on compulsory land purchases in each London borough in each year since 1996; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Compulsory Land Purchases

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on compulsory land purchases in Coventry in the last financial year.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 13 June 2006
	The information requested is not collected by the Department.

Correspondence

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by how many days her Department exceeded its target for answering letters when replying to the letter written by the hon. Member for Windsor about Mr. D. Ashworth.

Yvette Cooper: The Department target was exceed by 47 days. The original letter was not received in the Department and only after a duplicate was received on 10 March was this seen by officials. I apologise for the unacceptable delay. The Department is putting additional resources into improving performance in this regard.

Correspondence

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will reply to the letter of 8 May 2006 from the hon. Member for Billericay requesting that she meet local residents from Crays Hill, Hovefields and Pitsea to discuss traveller issues.

Meg Munn: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 22 June 2006.

Criminal Records Bureau

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of staff of registered social landlords working with vulnerable people were checked by the Criminal Records Bureau in 2005-06.

Yvette Cooper: The data to answer this question are not available. The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) does not record information about whether an organisation applying for a CRB check is a registered social landlord (RSL). The Housing Corporation expects RSLs to comply with the law, including where relevant the requirement to conduct CRB checks under the Care Standards Act 2000.

Decent Homes Standard

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities currently in surplus have met the Decent Homes Standard.

Yvette Cooper: The following local authorities have a Housing Revenue Account subsidy surplus, and report that they have met the decent homes standard for their council housing stock:
	Hinckley and Bosworth District Council
	Oadby and Wigston District Council
	Redditch District Council
	Ribble Valley District Council, and
	Lancaster District Council.

Departmental Finance Directors

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) name,  (b) professional and academic qualifications and  (c) relevant experience are of the finance director of her Department.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government is in the process of recruiting a professionally qualified finance director. Pending the appointment, the post is being temporarily covered by a career civil servant.

Departmental Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will keep a separate record of the amount spent annually by her Department on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not keep a separate record of the amount spent annually on alcohol for hospitality purposes. Expenditure in the Department is conducted in accordance with the principles of Government accounting. The Department's policy on hospitality is set out in its staff handbook, which advises that, on each occasion, careful consideration should be given to the need, form and extent of hospitality and whether if it can be justified.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many of her staff are  (a) under and  (b) over 55 years of age.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government was formed on 6 May 2006. The table following shows the number of staff under and over the age of 55 years as at 31 December 2005 in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	
		
			  Age  Number of staff 
			 Number of staff under 55 2,011 
			 Number of staff over 55 333 
			 Not recorded 107 
			 Total 2,451

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people over the age of 55 years have been recruited into her Department in each of the last three years.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government was formed on 6 May 2006. The following table shows the number of staff over the age of 55 years recruited through open competition to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
	
		
			   Number of new recruits over 55 
			 2003-04 2 
			 2004-05 1 
			 2005-06 0

Devolution

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on progress with plans for regional devolution.

Yvette Cooper: The Government are committed to devolving and decentralising functions to the English regions and to developing and strengthening the democratic oversight of those functions. They believe a regional approach is necessary to analyse and address the causes of economic disparity; to ensure planning and investment decisions are properly integrated; and to co-ordinate sub-national issues which extend beyond the boundaries of even the largest local authority. To this end, they created the Greater London Authority and have recently consulted on an extension of the powers of the London Mayor and Assembly.
	Respecting the outcome of the November 2004 north east referendum, the Government have continued to support the work of the voluntary regional assemblies which comprise a majority of elected local councillors together with stakeholder representatives drawn from the social, economic and environmental partners. They have given these assemblies responsibility for scrutinising the regional development agencies established to promote economic growth; and as regional planning bodies overseeing the regional spatial strategies. Later this year, as recommended in the 2004 Barker Review of Housing Supply and again following consultation, they will give regional assemblies a new role undertaking the regional housing board function.
	In parallel, the Government have strengthened the authority and visibility of the Government offices as a facilitator of partnership working in the regions.
	Budget 2006 reaffirmed the Government's commitment to enabling cities and regions to improve their economic performance, delivering efficiency and devolving decision making.

Devolution

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her policy is on  (a) the devolution of power to the regions and  (b) the creation of directly-elected regional bodies.

Yvette Cooper: The Government are committed to devolving and decentralising functions to the English regions and to developing and strengthening the democratic oversight of those functions. They believe a regional approach is necessary to analyse and address the causes of economic disparity; to ensure planning and investment decisions are properly integrated; and to co-ordinate sub-national issues which extend beyond the boundaries of even the largest local authority. To this end, they created the Greater London authority and have recently consulted on an extension of the powers of the London Mayor and Assembly.
	The Government have continued to support the work of the voluntary regional assemblies which comprise a majority of elected local councillors together with stakeholder representatives drawn from the social, economic and environmental partners. They have given these assemblies responsibility for scrutinising the regional development agencies established to promote economic growth; and as regional planning bodies overseeing the regional spatial strategies. Later this year, as recommended in the 2004 Barker review of housing supply and again following consultation, they will give regional assemblies a new role undertaking the regional housing board function.
	In parallel, the Government have strengthened the authority and visibility of the Government offices as a facilitator of partnership working in the regions.
	Budget 2006 reaffirmed the Government's commitment to enabling cities and regions to improve their economic performance, delivering efficiency and devolving decision making.
	Respecting the outcome of the November 2004 north east referendum on the creation of an elected regional assembly, the Government have no current plans for the creation of directly-elected regional bodies.

Empty Properties

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which the  (a) best and  (b) worst performing councils in England are with regard to tackling empty private sector properties in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what Luton borough council's performance was in that period.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities are required by law to report on a set of national performance indicators and standards set by Government. Best Value Performance Indicator 64 measures the number of private sector dwellings that are returned to occupation or demolished each year as a direct result of action by the local authority. Information, comprising local authorities' returns for Best Value Performance Indicator 64 for 2004-05 has been placed in the Library of the House. In the period 2004-05, the number of empty properties brought back into use or demolished by Luton council was 11. However, the variance in the overall size of the private sector housing stock, and the proportion of these houses which can be defined as empty, will differ between each local authority area and therefore, the indicator is not a straightforward reflection of individual councils' performance.

EU Directive 2002/91/EC

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2006,  Official Report, column 751W, on EU Directive 2002/91/EC, what the timetable is for the implementation of Articles 7 to 10; and what the deadline is for implementation under the directive.

Yvette Cooper: I would draw the hon. Member's attention to the statement made to this House on 14 June about implementation of the EU energy performance of buildings directive. The directive allows an additional period of three years to apply fully the requirements for energy certificates and plant inspections meaning the deadline for implementation of Articles 7 to 10 is 4 January 2009.

Firefighters

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many uniformed firefighters insured under the Group Life Assurance Scheme were  (a) subject to a health examination at retirement and  (b) subsequently excluded from the scheme on the basis of failing health in the last five years for which full data are available.

Angela Smith: The Department does not operate any group life assurance schemes for firefighters and information is not available centrally about schemes administered by fire and rescue authorities.

Fires (Education Premises)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many faulty  (a) fire extinguishers and  (b) smoke alarms were identified in schools in the last 12 months.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Fires (Education Premises)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of fires in  (a) schools,  (b) higher education institutions and  (c) further education colleges in the last 10 years were set deliberately.

Angela Smith: The available information is for fires in schools and further education establishments attended by fire and rescue services and reported to the Department on the FDR1 return.
	
		
			  England: Deliberately set fires in educational establishments attended by fire and rescue services, 1995-2004 
			   Percentage of school fires set deliberately  Percentage of further education establishment fires set deliberately 
			 1995 70 35 
			 1996 64 48 
			 1997 66 30 
			 1998 60 31 
			 1999 62 26 
			 2000 63 35 
			 2001 59 33 
			 2002 53 22 
			 2003 61 29 
			 2004 55 26 
			  Source:  Fire and Rescue Service returns to DCLG. Excludes any fires in November 2002 and January to February 2003 strike periods.

Fires (Education Premises)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many emergency fire service call-outs were made to schools in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The available information is for fires in schools attended by fire and rescue services and reported to the Department on the FDR1 return.
	
		
			  England: Primary fires in schools attended by fire and rescue services, 1995-2004 
			   Number 
			 1995 1,401 
			 1996 1,532 
			 1997 1,314 
			 1998 1,157 
			 1999 1,331 
			 2000 1,194 
			 2001 1,453 
			 2002 1,249 
			 2003 1,232 
			 2004 1,229 
			  Source:  Fire and Rescue Service returns to DCLG. Excludes any fires in November 2002 and January to February 2003 strike periods.

Fires (Education Premises)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of emergency fire service call-outs made to schools in each year of the last 10 years were on the basis of a fraudulent call.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Fires (Education Premises)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fires there were in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (i) region and (ii) local education authority.

Angela Smith: The available information is for fires in schools attended by fire and rescue services and reported to the Department on the FDR1 return. These are broken down by region and fire and rescue service area.
	
		
			  School fires attended by fire and rescue services, England, 1995-2004 
			  FRS area  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  England 1,401 1,532 1,314 1,157 1,331 1,194 1,453 1,249 1,232 1,229 
			 Bedfordshire 12 4 9 17 19 20 14 33 14 11 
			 Cambridgeshire 5 12 17 7 24 4 6 12 24 17 
			 Essex 18 26 12 21 14 21 25 19 27 17 
			 Hertfordshire 33 41 9 32 34 28 13 21 17 24 
			 Norfolk 9 10 4 6 7 16 14 9 10 6 
			 Suffolk 8 5 6 4 1 5 23 5 0 15 
			  East of England 85 98 57 87 99 94 95 99 92 90 
			
			 Derbyshire 25 37 23 30 20 11 23 17 22 16 
			 Leicestershire 43 29 19 19 17 17 26 21 19 16 
			 Lincolnshire 2 9 13 0 10 11 12 6 8 13 
			 Northamptonshire 9 24 12 16 22 6 16 5 10 21 
			 Nottinghamshire 28 36 31 56 15 34 15 33 23 35 
			  East Midlands 107 135 98 121 84 -79 92 82 82 101 
			
			  London 135 201 103 116 190 133 153 174 115 129 
			 Cleveland 24 28 55 25 16 37 27 45 15 6 
			 Durham 28 8 24 32 19 20 14 18 12 12 
			 Northumberland 9 7 5 4 4 4 5 0 13 4 
			 Tyne and Wear 74 70 43 40 37 46 58 48 37 42 
			  North East 135 113 127 101 76 107 104 111 77 64 
			
			 Cheshire 45 18 25 22 18 29 20 32 25 16 
			 Cumbria 14 18 10 2 18 6 13 13 14 14 
			 Lancashire 55 56 60 53 29 59 63 42 45 59 
			 Greater Manchester 158 184 178 124 156 98 160 134 132 128 
			 Merseyside 73 78 148 68 72 71 56 57 54 63 
			  North West 345 354 421 269 293 263 312 278 270 280 
			
			 Berkshire 15 25 31 18 20 10 46 30 14 14 
			 Buckinghamshire 8 31 17 13 17 18 10 10 5 19 
			 East Sussex 15 6 8 8 21 23 20 11 20 36 
			 Hampshire 40 28 6 19 34 35 55 19 48 41 
			 Isle of Wight 1 4 4 4 4 0 0 5 0 4 
			 Kent 32 63 49 22 28 15 27 35 23 34 
			 Oxfordshire 9 5 11 6 20 6 16 29 27 17 
			 Surrey 10 20 16 9 17 14 24 11 29 7 
			 West Sussex 10 29 2 18 39 20 20 26 10 32 
			  South East 140 211 144 117 200 141 218 176 176 204 
			
			 Avon 28 28 25 37 24 23 18 28 37 19 
			 Cornwall 3 10 1 1 5 0 5 5 6 14 
			 Devon 22 11 33 10 33 22 32 19 21 7 
			 Dorset 8 9 15 2 17 23 17 2 4 7 
			 Gloucestershire 5 20 23 0 5 13 5 15 9 1 
			 Somerset 13 6 6 12 9 4 21 18 11 25 
			 Wiltshire 11 0 6 6 14 7 10 1 6 0 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  South West 90 84 109 68 107 92 108 88 94 73 
			
			 Hereford and Worcester 14 15 9 13 5 27 15 13 5 9 
			 Shropshire 10 6 19 10 5 12 13 0 17 29 
			 Staffordshire 26 25 9 33 42 20 40 30 25 14 
			 Warwickshire 15 4 10 6 6 12 15 14 31 19 
			 West Midlands 106 141 82 78 96 94 86 79 74 53 
			  West Midlands 171 191 129 140 154 165 169 136 152 124 
			
			 Humberside 52 45 16 37 36 9 36 40 43 40 
			 North Yorkshire 11 15 13 5 9 40 5 21 15 23 
			 South Yorkshire 55 21 37 40 26 25 64 48 35 32 
			 West Yorkshire 78 64 62 57 58 46 100 96 80 67 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 196 145 128 139 129 120 205 205 173 162 
			  Source:  Fire and Rescue Service returns to DCLG. Excludes any fires in November 2002 and January-February 2003 strike period

Flag Flying

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's policy is on flying the  (a) St. George's flag and  (b) EU flag from departmental buildings.

Angela Smith: It is the Department for Communities and Local Government's policy to follow the guidance issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for flying flags on Government buildings. This includes recommending flying the St. George's Flag on St. George's Day 23 April and saying the European Flag should be flown on Europe Day 9 May on buildings with two or more flag poles, provided they are flown alongside the Union Flag with the Union Flag in the superior position.

Government Relocation

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of relocating a Government Department or agency to  (a) the Thames Gateway growth area and  (b) Kent Thameside; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Individual Departments are responsible for deciding on sites for relocation. However, they must take account of both their individual business needs and local economic factors, as set out in the central guidance, "Choosing Locations for Government Business".

Great Landscape Value Designation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities have land designated with area of great landscape value.

Yvette Cooper: Areas of landscape outside nationally designated areas, that are particularly highly valued locally, may be the subject of local landscape designations. The Department for Communities and Local Government does not monitor which authorities have made these local designations.

Green Belt

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to protect  (a) green belt and  (b) open green spaces in (i) the county of Greater Manchester, (ii) Tameside metropolitan borough and (iii) Stockport metropolitan borough.

Yvette Cooper: Planning policies to protect green belt and open space are set out at the national, regional and local levels and I will deal with each of these in turn.
	National policies to protect the green belt are set out in PPG2. Polices to protect other areas of open space are set out in PPG 17. Planning authorities are required to have regard to these policies when preparing their development plans and these policies may be material to individual planning decisions.
	In addition, the Residential Development on Greenfield Land Direction requires local authorities to notify the Secretary of State of applications for the provision of 150 houses or flats on greenfield land or any applications for the provision of houses or flats on five hectares or more on greenfield land. The notification requirements provide the Secretary of State with an opportunity to check general compliance with the guidance set out in national planning policies, and to consider whether an application should be called in for her own determination.
	Regional policies to protect green belt and other areas of open space are set out in Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the North West of England, formerly known as RPG13. Particular emphasis is given to maintaining urban form and enhancing urban living. The continued and extensive use of green belt policy is an essential tool. The RSS says that the case for exceptional substantial change to green belt will need to be established by a strategic study and that, in turn, will inform a future review of RSS. It says that there will be no need for such a study in Greater Manchester before 2011. The RSS is currently in the process of being reviewed. The North West regional assembly published the revised Draft RSS for consultation on 20 March 2006. The responses to the consultation will be examined by a panel set up by the Secretary of State. The panel will then carry out an examination in public to debate selected topics, based on issues raised in the consultation responses, before making their recommendations to the Secretary of State. It is likely that any proposed changes to regional green belt policies will be examined carefully by the panel and subsequently by the Secretary of State.
	Local policies to protect green belt and other areas of open space are set out in local authority development plan policies. The Government office for the north west scrutinises these plans on behalf of the Secretary of State to ensure that the authorities have had regard correctly to national and regional planning policies.

Green Belt

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many planning applications for new housing on land designated as green belt have been approved in the county of Greater Manchester in each year since 2000.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Green Belt

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of planning applications to build on brownfield sites involved building on gardens in  (a) Greater Manchester,  (b) Tameside metropolitan borough and  (c) Stockport metropolitan borough in the last period for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally.

Gypsies/Travellers

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what grants were made in 2005 as part of the Gypsy Site Refurbishment Grant scheme.

Meg Munn: Grant awards to local authorities for the establishment of new Gypsy and Traveller sites, and for the refurbishment of existing sites, are made under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 1979. In the 2005-06 round of the Gypsy Sites Grant the following payments were made:
	
		
			  Authority  Site  Grant paid 
			 Brighton and Hove City Council Horsdean 159,000 
			 Bristol City Council South Liberty Lane 1,513,626 
			 Darlington Borough Council Honeypot Lane 468,000 
			 Derbyshire County Council Lullington Crossroads 243,750 
			  Woodyard Lane 412,500 
			 Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Gibbon Lane 57,277 
			 Dorset County Council Cold Harbour 330,000 
			 Essex County Council Cranham Hall 28,565 
			  Ladygrove 121,128 
			  Ridgewell 45,375 
			  Ridgewell 22,440 
			  Elizabeth Way 15,180 
			 Fenland District Council Sandbank 1,868 
			  Fenland Way 9,900 
			 Kettering Borough Council Stoke Albany 750,000 
			 Horsham District Council Small Dole 41,026 
			 Hyndburn Borough Council Altham 33,400 
			 Leeds Borough Council Cottingley Springs 36,938 
			 London Borough of Camden Carol Street 17,582 
			 London Borough of Waltham Forest Folly Lane 450,000 
			 Maidstone Borough Council Stilebridge 143,356 
			 Milton Keynes Council Willen 10,818 
			 Norfolk County Council Gapton Hall 37,487 
			  Roundwell Park 295,342 
			 Northampton Borough Council Ecton Lane 366,899 
			 Northampton County Council Gypsy Lane 145,410 
			 Nottingham County Council Daneshill 37,228 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth City Council Stoney Road 61,400 
			 Oxfordshire County Council Standlake 87,120 
			  Wheatley 91,293 
			  Oakley Wood 30,139 
			 Rochdale District Council Roch Vale 90,546 
			 Shropshire County Council Manor House 90,000 
			 South Cambridgeshire District Council Whaddon 12,385 
			 Surrey County Council Fosterdown 101,250 
			 Tandridge District Council Green Lane 193,814 
			 Wakefield City Council Heath 157,691 
			 Walsall Metropolitan Council Willenhall 56,005 
			 Warwickshire County Council Alvecote 175,725 
			 Wiltshire County Council Odstock 225,582 
			  Dairyhouse Bridge 37,717 
			 Worcestershire County Council Hipton Hill 787,500 
			 Total grant paid  7,992,262 
		
	
	Bids for funding in the current round of the Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant are currently being considered.

Gypsies/Travellers

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what funding has been provided to Bedfordshire county council to accommodate Travellers in 2006-07; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what representations she has received on the funding of Travellers sites in Bedfordshire; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what criteria are used to allocate funding for accommodation for Travellers; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Munn: We have received five proposals for funding by Bedfordshire county council under round 1 of the Gypsy and Traveller Sites Grant (GTSG) 2006-08. GTSG is a capital grant available through the regional housing budgets for local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs), covering both the development of new sites and the refurbishment of existing sites. Bedfordshire CC is bidding for refurbishment schemes, which are funded at 75 per cent. of the total bid.
	Bids are evaluated against the following criteria:
	Does the scheme meet a clearly assessed need?
	Does the scheme offer value for money?
	Is the site sustainable?
	Schemes must also demonstrate that they will be able to deliver to time and budget, and that stakeholders have been consulted. Another key criterion which will be used to determine whether a bid receives funding will be the extent to which schemes contribute to addressing emerging regional priorities in respect of Gypsy and Traveller provision, which is assessed by the Regional Housing Boards (RHBs).
	An appropriate package of schemes within each region has been put together by the RHBs. These are under ministerial consideration and the successful schemes will be announced shortly.

Harlow Council  v. Hall

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the implication of the Court of Appeal's decision in Harlow council  v. Hall.

Yvette Cooper: The decision in Harlow BC  v. Hall was that drawing up a possession order postponed on conditions, using the wording of Form N28 introduced in 2002, had the unintended effect of invariably terminating a secure tenancy regardless of the tenant's compliance with the conditions. As an interim measure, an amended version of the form is being used. Officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government are currently working with the DCA to come up with a permanent solution.

Home Information Packs

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information was included in the Home Information Pack's Home Condition Report in the trial run in Bristol.

Yvette Cooper: The Home Condition Report used in the Bristol trial run included all the questions currently proposed in the Home Condition Report's content in the regulations but also contained a report giving a rating of the energy performance of the property using the Government approved Standard Assessment Procedure together with information about possible improvements.

Home Inspectors

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether standard conditions are expected to be issued by all home inspectors saying precisely what is and what is not included in a Home Information Pack.

Yvette Cooper: Home inspectors will be responsible for the content of the Home Condition Report. The Home Condition Report is a statutory element of the pack and home inspectors will be expected to complete the document in full.

Home Inspectors

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) vendors and  (b) purchasers will be able to take legal action against inspectors responsible for the production of inaccurate home condition reports.

Yvette Cooper: Yes. The regulations to be laid shortly will specify that sellers, buyers and mortgage lenders will have a legal right to rely on the home condition report. Certification schemes will be required to ensure that their home inspector members hold appropriate indemnity insurance.

Home Inspectors

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who will supervise the training and certification of home inspectors; what provision there is for ongoing training of home inspectors; and under what circumstances the approval of an inspector may be withdrawn.

Yvette Cooper: All home inspectors will be required to obtain a qualification before they can become members of a certifications scheme. That qualification must meet the National Occupational Standards for Home Inspection and be approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority.
	Once qualified, home inspectors can apply to become a member of a Government approved certifications scheme. Certification schemes will be required to uphold standards set by Government to ensure home inspectors are fit and proper, qualified and insured persons. Government will regularly audit the activities of certification schemes and have the power to withdraw approval if a certification scheme falls short of their statutory responsibilities.

Homeless and Housing Support Directorate

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total expenditure was of the Homeless and Housing Support Directorate's conference at Hampton Court Palace in May 2006; and how many  (a) civil servants and  (b) others attended the conference.

Yvette Cooper: The total cost of the Homelessness and Housing Support Directorate's event at Hampton Court was £5,731.48. Sixty-eight civil servants and one independent consultant attended.

House Prices

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will estimate  (a) the number of houses in £50,000 bands up to £1 million,  (b) the number of houses worth in excess of £1 million and  (c) the average price of a house in each such band in England and Wales in the latest year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

House Prices

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average house price was in Coventry South in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 22 June 2006
	It is not possible to provide separate figures for Coventry South. The following information has been sourced from the Land Registry.
	
		
			  March  Overall average price (£) 
			 2002 77,866 
			 2003 99,839 
			 2004 116,493 
			 2005 130,627 
			 2006 127,598

House Sales

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her estimate is of the median number of houses  (a) sold and  (b) marketed in England and Wales per annum over the last five years; what her assessment is of the reasons why house selling transactions fell through; and how many more transactions she expects to succeed every year as a result of the introduction of home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: The median number of annual property transactions of homes in England and Wales between 2001 and 2005 was 1,228,000, based on figures from the Land Registry. Information on the number of properties marketed annually is not collected, but this is estimated to be 1.6 million.
	The Department's 1998 research study, "Key research on easier home buying and selling", reported that 28 per cent. of transactions fail between offer acceptance and completion. The research study, a copy of which has been deposited in the Library, also described the reasons why transactions fail. For example, the report indicated that 43 per cent. of transaction failures were attributable to an unfavourable survey report and the remainder were due to a seller deciding to sell elsewhere, unacceptable delays, chain breakdown and the property being taken off the market. The key findings of the research study indicated that many of the problems associated with the current system are down to information emerging later in the process and that buyers, sellers and professionals all agreed that sellers should offer more information up front.
	Baseline research is currently under way to update the 1998 findings.

Housing

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to encourage the development of shared ownership housing schemes in  (a) Peterborough and  (b) other growth areas; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have allocated a substantial increase in funding for the East of England for 2006-08, much of which will be invested in new affordable housing. In Peterborough, the regional housing board for the East of England (RHB) has allocated just over £19 million which is expected to deliver 572 new affordable units, via the Housing Corporation's National Affordable Housing Programme. In the other growth areas of the region, the RHB has allocated £152.7 million which is expected to deliver 6,081 new affordable units.
	The Housing Corporation is delivering the Government's affordable housing agenda in partnership with local authorities, registered social landlords and developers in developing schemes across the range of tenure which meets the needs of local people including the pathway to low cost home ownership.
	The Government's shared equity task force is currently examining other ways to increase shared ownership schemes.

Housing

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was allocated per head of population by the Housing Corporation to  (a) the North East and  (b) London and the South East in each of the last three years.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows the funding per head based on allocations through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme for 2006-08 in relation to 2004 mid year population estimates for the North East region and London/South East regions combined from the Office for National Statistics.
	
		
			   Region 
			   North East  London and South East 
			 2004 mid year population estimates (ONS) 2,545,000 15,539,000 
			 Affordable Housing Programme allocated funding 2006-08  (£ million) 82 2,444 
			 Funding per head (£) 32.22 157.28

Housing

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria the Housing Corporation used to determine bids for funds under the National Affordable Housing Programme; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Housing Corporation invited bids for funding from the National Affordable Housing Programme 2006-08. These were assessed for compliance with the competition requirements as follows:
	"(i) Additionality—grant must be necessary for the affordable housing to be delivered;
	(ii) Rent levels in accordance with Corporation or statutory rent regimes to ensure affordability;
	(iii) Schemes must be financially independent;
	(iv) Schemes must meet or exceed the minimum standards covering design and quality (expressed through the Corporation's Scheme Development Standards, Housing Quality Indicator system, and a Very Good EcoHomes rating);
	(v) Scheme must start on site by 31 March 2008;
	(vi) Schemes must complete before 31 March 2011;
	(vii) Scheme must conform to the relevant regional housing board priorities;
	(viii)Schemes must meet management and maintenance standards (for housing associations schemes must comply with all of the Corporation's regulatory requirements in relation to the management and maintenance of affordable homes);
	(ix) Bidders must have the capacity to enter into a programme agreement."
	Bids which met these competition requirements were then subject to competitive assessment using four criteria:
	Value-for-money;
	Quality;
	Fit with regional and local housing strategies;
	Deliverability within the programme time scale.
	The compliance requirements and criteria were set out in the Housing Corporation's pre-prospectus and prospectus published at the time of launch of the bidding round in July 2005.

Housing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will introduce a bill to harmonise tenancy rights along the lines recommended by the Law Commission.

Yvette Cooper: We are still considering the final report and draft Bill on Renting Homes published by the Law Commission on 5 May and have not yet decided on the best way forward.

Housing

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to provide a right of appeal to owners of properties subject to final empty dwelling management orders.

Yvette Cooper: An owner already has the right of appeal where their property is the subject of a final empty dwelling management order (EDMO).
	Where the owner objects either to the making of the final EDMO or some of the terms on which it is made (including the terms of the management scheme), and the council has not accepted their representations, they will be able to appeal to a Residential Property Tribunal.

Housing

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses with gardens and two or more bedrooms have been built in Vauxhall since 1 January 2004.

Yvette Cooper: Information on new build dwellings is collected by the Department for Communities and Local Government and is available by local authority not constituency. No information on new build dwellings with gardens is held centrally.

Housing

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what advice her Department has issued to councils on best practice for use of the money given to them by her Department for discretionary housing payments.

James Plaskitt: I have been asked to reply.
	General guidance was issued to all local authorities when the Discretionary Housing Payments scheme was introduced in July 2001, setting out the conditions for entitlement to an award. However, the decision on whether to make a Discretionary Housing Payment is entirely at the discretion of the local authority concerned so we cannot prescribe whether or not an authority must make a payment in any particular circumstances.

Housing

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department provided for housing in Tees Valley in 2005-06; and whether an element of the funding was 'top-sliced' for regional housing purposes.

Yvette Cooper: In total during 2005-06, the Department provided funding totalling £39 million for housing in the Tees Valley region.
	All of this funding was directly related to housing activities and it was not 'top-sliced' for regional housing purposes.

Housing

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a central inventory is kept of non-housing accommodation held by local authorities.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not available centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Some of the information may, however, be available from the National Land Use Database of Previously-Developed Land (NLUD-PDL). This is a list of sites supplied by local authorities covering vacant and derelict land and also land currently in use with known potential for development. It does not cover other land currently in use but does record whether a site is owned by the local authority.
	Information on the sites is available from the NLUD website:
	www.nlud.org.uk
	The database does not claim complete coverage, particularly of small sites.

Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to respond to the recommendations of the Affordable Rural Local Housing Commission.

Yvette Cooper: The Government will use a range of channels and mechanisms to respond in a constructive way to the agenda set by the Commission, including in the forthcoming Spending Review.

Housing

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes have been built by Wirral borough council in Wirral, West since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Wirral borough council has built no new dwellings in Wirral since 1990. Total development (by the private sector and Registered Social Landlords) in Wirral, West constituency since 1997 has totalled 1,032 gross new build dwellings (20.7 per cent. of the borough total of 4,992 gross new dwellings).

Housing

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average house price was in  (a) Wirral, West and  (b) Wirral borough area on 30 April in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government publishes quarterly information on average house prices for local authority areas on our website at: http://www.communities .gov.uk/ embedded_object.asp?id=l 156155
	For the Wirral, the average house prices for the past five years in the second quarter of the year, excluding sub-market sales, are given as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Quarter 2:  Wirral  Merseyside 
			 2001 73,532 69,582 
			 2002 85,023 77,573 
			 2003 98,677 90,407 
			 2004 125,327 116,309 
			 2005 140,163 128,293 
			  Source: Land Registry 
		
	
	The Department hold no datasets for Wirral, West.

Housing

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a local authority has made use of its powers under section 183 of the Housing Act 2004.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. It is for each local authority to use this provision as it considers appropriate to meet its housing needs.

Housing

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the resources available to district councils in housing expansion growth areas to process large-scale planning applications.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities in the growth areas have received £75,770,362 in total Planning Delivery Grant since 2003 to help them deal with major applications and other planning requirements. They also receive funding of £7 million annually to support local delivery vehicles in the major growth locations, some of which directly help with handling big schemes.

Housing

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new affordable housing units were completed in  (a) Dudley,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) England in each year since 2000.

Yvette Cooper: According to information provided by local authorities the number of new affordable housing units completed is as follows. These numbers include homes for rent, shared ownership, and other affordable private sector homes. They include homes funded by the Government and those funded by the private sector under section 106 agreements negotiated by local councils.
	
		
			   Dudley  West Midlands  England 
			 2000-01 154 5,216 44,971 
			 2001-02 85 2,858 29,806 
			 2002-03 137 2,789 28,826 
			 2003-04 50 2,864 32,605 
			 2004-05 103 3,410 33,154 
			 2005-06(1) 157 4,717 46,529 
			 (1) Figures for 2005-06 are forecasts as at April 2005 because local councils have not yet supplied actual data for 2005-06.

Housing

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to encourage the provision of affordable housing for key public sector workers in Swindon.

Yvette Cooper: The Key Worker Living programme does not currently operate in the South West region. In the South West region £302.7 million has been allocated by the Housing Corporation for housing schemes to start in 2006-08. They will provide 8,465 new affordable homes, of which 625 will be in Swindon.
	Of the 625 homes being provided in Swindon, 455 will be for social rent, eligibility for which will be decided by the local authority through their nomination procedures. The remaining 170 will be for low cost home ownership or intermediate rent.
	Key public sector workers will be eligible for these units alongside social tenants, those on the housing register and first-time buyers prioritised for assistance by regional housing boards.

Housing

Mark Todd: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the future of arm's length management organisations in council housing.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced the final bidding round of the Arm's Length Management Organisation (ALMO) programme and launched the publication of the outcome of the ALMO review, which sets out how Government see the long term future of ALMOs, and a discussion paper setting the decent homes programme in its broader context in a written statement to the House on Wednesday 7 June.

Housing

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to increase the number of dwellings available for low-cost home ownership.

Yvette Cooper: The Government aim to help an additional 100,000 households into home ownership from 2005-10. We are implementing a number of measures to boost housing supply and deliver more affordable housing. This includes increased investment of £970 million being provided through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme in 2006-08 for low cost home ownership schemes to help 35,000 new homeowners get their first step on the home ownership ladder and bringing forward more public sector land to increase the supply of new homes.
	The Shared Equity Task Force, led by myself and the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, has been established to examine further ways to increase the number of people able to benefit from shared equity products. The task force will report by the end of 2006 to inform decisions on the comprehensive spending review in the summer of 2007.
	In addition, the Government intend to publish a revised "Planning Policy Statement for Housing" (PPS3) later this year to improve the delivery of both market and affordable housing through the planning system.

Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes have been built by Coventry borough council in Coventry, South since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 22 June 2006
	Coventry city council has not built any new homes since 1997. New provision of affordable housing is now delivered through the Governments Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) which primarily funds housing associations who can lever in additional independent borrowing.

Social Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made towards the decent home standards for social housing in Coventry South; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 22 June 2006
	The information is as follows:
	 Social housing and Decent Homes in Coventry City
	It is not possible to provide separate information about social housing in Coventry South.
	There is no social housing in the ownership of the city council because of the transfer in September 2000 of all the council housing (around 20,000 dwellings) to the Whitefriars Housing Group under the large-scale voluntary transfer (LSVT) arrangements.
	The Housing Corporation, which has a regulatory role for RSLs, monitors progress towards the Decent Homes target for this sector of social housing.
	The Housing Corporation began collecting local authority area-based data about levels of decency in RSL social housing stock in 2005.
	This data showed that at March 2005 there were 23,665 social homes in the city of Coventry owned and managed by RSLs, and that just over 6,000 (26 per cent.) of these did not meet the Decent Homes standard at that time.
	The Housing Corporation is satisfied that the 32 RSLs with social housing stock in the Coventry area are on target to meet the Decent Homes target in 2010.
	 Whitefriars Housing Group
	The Whitefriars Housing Group is by far the largest social landlord in Coventry, with 17,075 dwellings in March 2005, making up 72 per cent. of the total social housing in the city.
	The council's decision in 2000 (supported by a tenant ballot) to transfer the council housing stock was driven by the need to access new sources of funding. A stock condition survey had shown that the investment requirement at that time to bring the housing up to modern standards was £250 million and the council was unable to identify the necessary resources.
	At the time of the stock transfer the Decent Homes standard had not been developed, but in March 2004 approximately 42 per cent. of the Whitefriars homes were identified as non-decent. By March 2005 this level had been reduced to 27 per cent., when only 4,593 homes failed to meet the standard.

Social Housing

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans there are to build more social housing in the West Midlands.

Yvette Cooper: The Government award Regional Housing Pot funding to each region in England and ask Regional Housing Boards to recommend how the funding should be allocated in accordance with the Regional Housing Strategy. In the West Midlands, 2006-08 Regional Housing Pot funding has been allocated to fund provision of an additional 2,683 homes for social rent.
	In addition, it is expected that further homes for social rent will be provided under section 106 agreements negotiated between local councils and developers in accordance with Government policy.

Social Housing

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what acreage of private residential gardens in North Somerset has been lost to infill development in each year since 2000.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally.

Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Private Members' Bills were drafted by her Department, or predecessor Department, in each Session since 1997; and which of those subsequently received Royal Assent.

Angela Smith: Members will consider a range of possible subjects before introducing their Private Members' Bills.
	Government draftsmen draft some Bills in advance which are available as one of the options for Members to consider before they make their selection.
	However, Members may make subsequent amendments or revisions to a Government drafted Bill, or use it as the basis for a Private Members' Bill in the future.
	The information requested is therefore not collected.

Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which Bills sponsored by her Department are still to be introduced during the current Session; and when, and into which House, each will be introduced;
	(2)  what plans she has for legislation in the next Session of Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House on Friday 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1431W.

Living Naze Community Project

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much public money has been made available to the Living Naze regeneration project.

Yvette Cooper: The Essex Development and Regeneration Agency (ExDRA) Sub-Regional Economic Partnership allocated £50,000 from its delegated (from EEDA) Rural Renaissance fund in January 2005 to partly fund a company to produce a feasibility study about Walton Hall Barns.

Local Authority Properties

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance is issued to local authorities on the desirable  (a) size,  (b) nature and  (c) value per head of population of the non-housing properties and facilities owned by local authorities.

Phil Woolas: The Department for Communities and Local Government has not issued any specific guidance on the desirable  (a) size,  (b) nature and  (c) value per head of population of the non-housing properties and facilities owned by local authorities. We expect local authorities to decide this according to their local needs.

Local Government Officers (Castle Point)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will meet the hon. Member for Castle Point to discuss  (a) the performance of local government officers in Castle Point,  (b) their code of conduct and  (c) their delivery of services to the population of Castle Point.

Angela Smith: I am happy to meet the hon. Member for Castle Point.

London Population

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her policy is on providing accommodation in London to take account of its projected population increase.

Yvette Cooper: The Mayor of London's London Plan, published in February 2004, and borough development plans, set out targets for housing provision in London, and take account of the need for housing. The London Plan housing targets are currently under review.

Mayor of London

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she plans to publish the Government's response to the consultation on the powers of the Mayor of London.

Phil Woolas: The Government aim to publish their response shortly.

Northern Way

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what responsibility she has for the Northern Way initiative.

Yvette Cooper: The Northern Way is an ambitious pan-regional growth strategy being driven by the three northern regional development agencies and their partners. It aims to close the £30 billion output gap between the north and the England average and its work will therefore play an important part in delivering the Government's regional economic performance PSA target.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government co-ordinates the Government's involvement with the Northern Way. Alongside Treasury and DTI, the Department works closely with the Northern Way to help them develop their plans and facilitates their engagement with the other Government Departments. The Department also match funded the regional development agencies' contribution to create a £100 million growth fund for pilot projects exploring innovative ways of increasing economic growth in the north.

Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance  (a) the Government and  (b) the Standards Board for England has issued to local authorities on the predetermination of decisions.

Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government has issued no guidance of the sort mentioned. In addition, the avoidance of predetermination is not an issue explicitly mentioned in the model code of conduct for local authority members, and so would not be an issue for the Standards Board. As far as determining planning applications is concerned, the Standards Board does provide specific guidance relating to members' personal and prejudicial interests. The Local Government Association published guidance in January this year, "Probity in Planning: The role of Councillors and Officers". This gives propriety guidance to members of planning committees to help avoid accusations of predetermining applications.

Planning

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of applications to build on brownfield sites were applications to build on gardens in the last period for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally.

Planning

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's definition of a growth area is.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 16 June 2006
	The four growth areas announced by the Government in the Sustainable Communities Plan 2003 are being taking forward further to Regional Planning Guidance for the wider south east (2001), and are based on proposals by regional and local partners. They were identified because of their potential to take on further growth more sustainably, with less environmental impact, and to exploit major transport and economic investment.

Planning

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on the recommended average length of consultation times for proposals for  (a) sex shops,  (b) casinos and  (c) the sale of council owned land; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 provides that, when a planning application is made, the local planning authority has to publicise it and then allow 21 days for people to comment.
	If premises are already in shop use, there would be no need for planning permission to switch to some other branch of retail activity.
	Sale of land does not amount to 'development', so is not subject to planning controls.
	However, if a local authority is proposing to dispose of open space (including land laid out as a public garden or used for public recreation) the Local Government Act 1972 requires the authority to advertise its intentions in a local newspaper for two consecutive weeks, and to consider any objections.

Planning

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether the Government have appointed consultants to undertake research into councillor involvement in planning decisions;
	(2)  what consultation will be held with councillors on proposed changes to the way planning decisions are made;
	(3)  whether the Government are reviewing the role of local councillors in planning decisions; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  if she will ensure councillors retain involvement in the planning process.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have appointed Arup to undertake research to provide information on councillor involvement in planning decisions. We have no proposals for change either to the way planning decisions are made or to councillors' involvement in the planning process.

Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the timetable is for planning guidance to be given to local authorities by her Department.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), 11 July 2005,  Official Report, column 810W.
	Progress on replacement of PPGs is as follows:
	
		
			  PPS number  Subject  Consultation draft  Publication of revised PPS/PPG 
			 1 Delivering sustainable development 23 February 2004 1 February 2005 
			 3 Planning for housing 5 December 2005 Summer 2006 
			 4 Economic development Timing to be decided  
			 6 Planning for town centres 15 December 2003 21 March 2005 
			 7 Sustainable development in rural areas 15 September 2003 3 August 2004 
			 9 Nature conservation/biodiversity 8 September 2004 16 August 2005 
			 10 Planning for sustainable waste management 6 December 2004 21 July 2005 
			 11 Regional planning 13 October 2003 7 September 2004 
			 12 Development plans 13 October 2003 7 September 2004 
			 22 Renewable energy 5 November 2003 9 August 2004 
			 23 Pollution control February + July 2002 3 November 2004 
			 24 Planning and noise Timing to be decided  
			 25 Development and flood risk 5 December 2005 Later in 2006 
			  Climate change Later in 2006 2007

Planning

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many sites in England have planning permission for educational use but are not currently occupied by a school.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 5 June 2006
	The information requested is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Planning

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many sites in each London borough have planning permission for educational use but are not occupied by a school; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 19 June 2006
	The Department does not hold the information requested, and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Local authorities are responsible for considering planning applications and the great majority are not referred to my Department.

Planning

Malcolm Rifkind: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she issues to local authorities on the assessment of risks from flooding when considering planning permissions for new basement properties in London near to the River Thames.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 12 June 2006
	The Government's guidance to planning authorities on development and flood risk is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 25. This advises that planning applications in flood risk areas are always accompanied by a flood risk assessment, and that the Environment Agency is consulted. Flood risk areas are those mapped by the Agency as being at risk from river and tidal flooding, but sites outside such areas can also be at risk due to local topography, for example at the foot of hills where storm-water runoff may overwhelm sewers. Flood risk assessments should address the source of flooding, its potential extent, depth and speed of inundation and its likely impact on the development during its lifetime, taking climate change into account. They should demonstrate how the risk will be managed and identify any residual risk (the risk remaining after flood defences have been taken into account). Proposals for the development of new properties with basements would have to demonstrate (to the satisfaction of the Environment Agency and the Local Planning Authority) that the residual risk to the development and its occupants was acceptable. In addition, the introduction of basement accommodation into a flood risk area should also not materially increase the flood risk to other properties or occupants. The new Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 25 that we intend to issue this autumn will strengthen this advice.

Rushenden Link Road

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she expects to announce the timetable for  (a) the funding and  (b) the building of the Rushenden Link Road.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 16 June 2006
	The information is as follows.
	 (a) Following the announcement that £12 million had been allocated to the Rushenden Link Road (bringing the total investment to £19 million) discussions are continuing, with the South East England development agency (SEEDA), to complete the Department's internal appraisal requirements and agree the final funding package.
	 (b) Responsibility for the build programme rests with SEEDA with the works being undertaken by Kent county council (KCC). Forecast start date for construction on site is June 2007. This is dependent on the adoption of the masterplan and receipt of planning permission.
	My officials in the Thames Gateway Delivery Unit will update my hon. Friend when the formal funding agreement has been issued.

Secured by Design

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to achieve the aims of the Secured by Design initiative through the planning process.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have issued detailed planning guidance on planning and crime prevention in England. "Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development" (PPS1), published in 2005, places strong emphasis on the role of planning in helping to create safe and sustainable communities. Planning authorities are asked to have robust policies which address crime prevention issues in their development plans. Crime prevention is also capable of being a material planning consideration in the consideration of planning applications.
	In applying the policy in PPS1 we have asked planning authorities to have regard to the guidance we have published in "Safer Places: The Planning System and Crime Prevention" (Office of the Deputy Prime Minster/Home Office, 2004). This offers detailed guidance on the lay-out of all buildings and spaces to reduce the risk of crime, including, where appropriate, the incorporation of target hardening measures such as CCTV in new development.
	"Safer Places" advises that in designing and considering development proposals, the physical protection of development by using target hardening principles such as Secured by Design should be considered. The guidance also highlights a number of examples of best practice involving Secured by Design principles and urges all involved in the planning and design of buildings and environments to work closely with police architectural liaison officers or crime prevention design advisors.
	Alongside this guidance we are also examining how best to incorporate measures to improve the security of new homes. Compliance with Secured by Design standards is one of the options being considered.

Sustainable Buildings

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to encourage Swindon borough council to apply the higher level standards of the new Code for Sustainable Buildings to new homes.

Yvette Cooper: Consultation on the proposed Code for Sustainable Homes ended on 6 March 2006. In the light of the consultation responses, the Government announced proposals to strengthen the code on 9 March 2006. This announcement also said that these improvements would be developed over the coming months.
	The Government are also carrying out a detailed analysis of the consultation returns and final decisions on further ways to encourage the take up of the code are still being considered.

Thames Gateway

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funds have been allocated for greenspace projects in the Thames Gateway in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 22 June 2006
	Our proposals for environmental and greenspace improvements were set out in the Greening the Gateway implementation plan published in February 2005. The total funding toward greenspace and environmental projects from the Thames Gateway Programme fund between 2003-04 to 2007-08 is just under £25 million, of which about £19.7 million has already been spent. Expenditure in 2006-07 and 2007-08 is expected to be £4.6 million and £612,000 respectively.

Trees in Towns

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when her Department will publish the report Trees in Towns II; and why its publication has been delayed from Autumn 2005.

Yvette Cooper: The final report for Trees in Towns II was received by my Department at the beginning of June 2006. Preparation of the material for publication in a range of media is in hand and publication is expected later in 2006.

Underused Land

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's definition is of underused land.

Yvette Cooper: The Local Government (Publication of Information About Unused and Underused Land) (England) Regulations 1992 referred to underused land but only that owned by specified local authorities. The regulations were revoked in 1996.
	The register of surplus public sector land, set up in 2003, records land that becomes surplus to the operational requirements of the owning body and is therefore available for disposal. It covers land owned by central Government bodies. See http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/rspsl.htm.

Under-Value Property Disposals

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which "best consideration" decisions for disposing of property at an undervalue have been  (a) refused and  (b) permitted by the Secretary of State further to the Local Government Act 1972 in each year since 1977.

Yvette Cooper: Data on local authority land disposals at less than best consideration made under the Local Government Act 1972 are not available centrally for the whole of this period. The revised General Disposal Consent issued in 2003 requires disposals with an undervalue of more than £2 million to receive the specific consent of the Secretary of State. There have been no cases under the current General Disposal Consent where consent has been refused. Consents given by the Secretary of State since the introduction of these arrangements are set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Local authority  
			 2003 Birmingham City Council Freehold disposal of land at Haden Circus, Birmingham, to provide a site for a sixth form college. 
			 2003 Kirklees Metropolitan Council Freehold disposal of land at Shepherds Grove, Deighton, Huddersfield, for residential development. 
			 2004 Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Freehold disposal of undeveloped land at Foxdown, Hampshire, for residential development. 
			 2004 Manchester City Council Leasehold disposal of land at One Central Park, Newton Heath, Manchester, for a science park, education and research facilities. 
			 2005 London Borough of Greenwich Leasehold disposal of a school site in Abbey Wood for a City Academy school. 
			 2006 Buckinghamshire County Council, Aylesbury Release of Green Belt Act 1938 Covenant at Berryfields.

Village Pubs

Julie Kirkbride: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will take steps to strengthen controls preventing village pubs from being bought and closed down by property speculators;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on Government policy on planning as it affects village pubs.

Yvette Cooper: Government policies in relation to planning for village pubs are set out in planning policy statement 6: Planning for Town Centres (PPS6) and planning policy statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas (PPS7).
	PPS 6 asks local planning authorities where appropriate to adopt policies that enhance the vitality and viability of rural service centres, such as villages. In considering proposals for new development, local authorities should take into account the likely impact of the new development on services that are important to the local community.
	Local planning authorities are also asked to consider the scale of new leisure development, including pubs, and its likely impact on the character and function of a village, for example in terms of antisocial behaviour, crime and the amenities of residents.
	PPS7 supports the PPS6 policy approach to enhancing the viability of village services, including village pubs. It advises local planning authorities to support the retention of valuable local facilities and to set out in their local development documents the criteria they will apply in considering planning applications that would result in the loss of important village services.
	The planning system cannot control the closure of a business or the sale of land or premises. Planning permissions relate to the use of land, and ownership is not a relevant consideration. The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995, as amended, allows a change of use from A4 (drinking establishments) to A3 (restaurant and cafes), A2 (financial and professional services), and A1 (shops). A change to any other use would require planning permission.
	If a pub is converted to a use other than those described, without planning permission, local planning authorities have a wide range of discretionary enforcement powers to enable them to deal with unauthorised development. It is for the local planning authority to decide in each case which is the most appropriate course of action.
	The Government have no plans to control the buying and selling, or closure of village pubs. The use to which land and premises are put is a matter for individual land owners, so long as the necessary consents are in place.

West Midlands Regional Assembly

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for provision of further powers to the West Midlands regional assembly.

Yvette Cooper: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 210W.

Weymouth Relief Road

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to call in the application to build the Weymouth relief road.

Yvette Cooper: Dorset county council is currently considering a planning application for the Weymouth relief road. Once they have completed their consideration the Secretary of State will decide whether the application should be called in for her own determination or remain with Dorset county council for decision.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the contribution of British troops activities to economic and social development in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: British forces are working closely with other Government Departments to deliver an integrated package of military, economic, diplomatic and developmental assistance. The role of UK forces is primarily to assist the Afghans in creating a secure environment within which the country's reconstruction and development can take place.

Afghanistan

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units have been earmarked as replacements for the units currently serving with 16 Air Assault Brigade in Afghanistan; and when the replacement is due to take place.

Des Browne: No final decisions have been made on which units will replace 16 Air Assault Brigade in Afghanistan. As with all deployments, an announcement will be made in the House in due course.

Army Recruitment

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent trend he has identified in levels of recruitment to the Army.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Ludlow (Mr. Dunne), at column 14.

Army Recruitment

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications from Northern Ireland to join the Army were rejected on national security grounds in  (a) 2003-04 and  (b) 2004-05.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer he was given on 12 September 2005,  Official Report, columns 2276-77W. From 21 July 2005 until 31 December 2005 four more applications from Northern Ireland to join the Army were rejected on national security grounds.

Veterans Challenge Fund

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the performance of the Veterans Challenge Fund.

Tom Watson: The Veterans Challenge Fund has allowed substantial improvements to be made to the work of Government and other organisations addressing the needs of veterans. Over 50 projects have been supported, covering issues from homelessness and suicide among veterans to recognition of their achievements. A full list of the projects that have received challenge fund backing can be found on the Veterans Agency website. We have work in hand to improve understanding of the purpose and availability of the fund.

Cadet Forces

Andrew Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the contribution cadet forces make to the wider community.

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps his Department has taken to support the cadet forces.

Tom Watson: I refer my hon. Friends to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Bridgend (Mrs. Moon), at column 17.

Military Aircraft

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of military aircraft are available for frontline service.

Adam Ingram: I have taken aircraft "available for frontline service" to mean those aircraft that are "fit for purpose"; that is assessed to be available for tasking within a 24 hour period. On that basis, over the first two months of this financial year, about 480 aircraft across Strike Command, Joint Helicopter Command and the Royal Navy were fit for purpose, equating to around half of total fleet numbers.
	Aircraft are not available for tasking if they are undergoing scheduled maintenance, modification programmes or any unforeseen rectification work, and an aircraft assessed as not fit for purpose may be returned to the front line at very short notice to meet the operational need.
	Some training aircraft and helicopters are not included in these figures. I will place details of these figures in the Library of the House.

Falklands War

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce details of events to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands War in 2007.

Tom Watson: My right hon. Friend the former Defence Secretary announced in a written ministerial statement on 27 April plans for the commemoration next year of the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands Conflict. We are planning major events in the UK and the Falkland Islands and are working closely with veterans organisations and others to ensure their success.

Veterans

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the veterans' badge scheme.

Tom Watson: Over 250,000 badges have so far been issued to veterans who left the armed forces before the end of 1954 at a rate of up to 5,000 per week. I am sure many hon. Members on both sides will agree with me that the badge has had a remarkably positive impact. I have been invited to several badge presentations organised by hon. Members and have never failed to be heartened by the pleasure these badges are clearly giving to our veterans. From tomorrow applications will be accepted from those who served up to 31 December 1959 and will be extended further on a phased basis to all qualifying veterans as soon as practicable. In addition, the Deputy Prime Minister launched the UK Merchant Seafarers Veteran's Badge on 24 June and applications will be accepted from tomorrow for those eligible up to the end of 1959.

Veterans

Russell Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what events have been organised in Scotland to celebrate Veterans Day.

Tom Watson: The main event in Scotland to celebrate Veterans Day will be held in Dundee on 1 July and will include a Veterans Badge presentation, a parade of veterans and veterans entertainment in the Town Hall. Veterans Day events are also being planned elsewhere, including Lairg, Dunfermline and Crieff and on the former Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh.

A303(T) Stonehenge

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when since January 2006 Ministers, officials and other employees or consultants working for his Department have  (a) met and  (b) had discussions with representatives of the National Trust on the northern corridor proposals for a route for the A303(T) north of Stonehenge; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: Neither Ministers nor officials have met with representatives of the National Trust (NT) to discuss Stonehenge road issues since 16 January 2006, when NT and Defence estate officials last met. The chief executive of Defence estates met with the director general of the National Trust on 8 February to discuss general issues.

Air Training Corps Squadrons

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of Air Training Corps Squadrons.

Adam Ingram: There are no significant changes planned with regard to the Air Training Corps or its Squadrons. The Air Training Corps continues to promote a practical interest in aviation and the Royal Air Force; to provide training useful to Service or civilian employment; and to encourage good citizenship and leadership, as well as a sense of adventure among young men and women. The Air Training Corps will continue to be supported by the Royal Air Force, and is an integral part of the Government's Over-Arching Youth Strategy.

Armed Forces (Foreign Personnel)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many non-Commonwealth foreign servicemen are serving in the armed forces, broken down by  (a) country of origin and  (b) service.

Tom Watson: holding answer 20 June 2006
	The number of non-Commonwealth foreign UK regular service personnel serving in the armed forces at 1 April 2006, broken down by nationality, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Country  All services  Naval service  Army( 1)  Royal Air Force( 2) 
			 Total non-Commonwealth Foreign Service Personnel (3)390 70 (3)255 (3)70 
			 France (3, 4)— 0 (3, 4)— (3)0 
			 Germany(5) (3, 4)— (4)— (3, 4)— (3)0 
			 Egypt (3, 4)— 0 (3)0 (3, 4)— 
			 Eire (3)330 50 (3)215 (3)60 
			 Nepal (3)30 0 (3)30 (3)0 
			 Switzerland (3, 4)— 0 (3, 4)— (3)0 
			 Ukraine (3, 4)— (4)— (3)0 (3)0 
			 United Arab Emirates (3)10 10 (3)0 (3)0 
			 USA (3)5 (4)— (3, 4)— (3, 4)— 
			 Other non-Commonwealth Personnel(6) (3)5 0 (3)5 (3)0 
			 Not Known (3)540 505 (3)25 (3)10 
			 (1) Army figures are provisional pending investigation. (2) Due to the introduction of a new personnel administration system for RAF, all RAF data are provisional and subject to review. RAF data are for personnel serving at 6 March 2006. They include personnel who at that date had attested but had not begun basic training. (3) Provisional. (4) Fewer than five. (5) Includes personnel with nationality recorded as West German. (6) Includes personnel with nationality recorded as foreign/foreign.  Notes: 1. Data are rounded to the nearest five to prevent disclosure of sensitive information. 2. Data are for UK regular forces (trained and untrained), including nursing services and excluding full-time reserve service personnel, Gurkhas, the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists.

Armed Forces (Foreign Personnel)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Commonwealth servicemen there are in the British armed forces, broken down by  (a) country of posting and  (b) service.

Tom Watson: holding answer 20 June 2006
	Figures showing the posted location of United Kingdom regular forces from Commonwealth countries can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Commonwealth UK regular service personnel broken down by posted location at 1 April 2006 
			  Posted country  All services  Naval service  Army  RAF 
			 Belgium (1, 2)— 0 (1, 2)— (1, 2)— 
			 Belize (1, 2)— 0 (1, 2)— (1)0 
			 British Indian Ocean Territory (1, 2)— (2)— (1)0 (1)0 
			 Brunei (1, 2)— 0 (1, 2)— (1)0 
			 Canada (1)5 0 (1)5 (1)0 
			 Cyprus (1)90 0 (1)85 (1, 2)— 
			 Falkland Islands (1)25 0 (1)25 (1)0 
			 Germany (1)1,460 0 (1)1,460 (1)0 
			 Gibraltar (1, 2)— 0 (1, 2)— (1)0 
			 Iraq (1, 2)— (2)— (1)0 (1)0 
			 Kuwait (1, 2)— 0 (1)0 (1, 2)— 
			 Netherlands (1, 2)— 0 (1)0 (1, 2)— 
			 Oman (1, 2)— 0 (1)0 (1, 2)— 
			 Saudi Arabia (1, 2)— 0 (1)0 (1, 2)— 
			 Sierra Leone (1, 2)— 0 (1, 2)— (1)0 
			 United Kingdom (1)5,405 390 (1)4,815 (1)200 
			 United States of America (1, 2)— 0 (1, 2)— (1, 2)— 
			 Other (1, 2)— 0 (1, 2)— (1)0 
			 Total (1)7,005 395 (1)6,405 (1)210 
			 (1) Provisional. (2) Less than five.  Notes: 1. Data are for UK regular forces (trained and untrained), including nursing services and excluding full-time reserve service personnel, Ghurkhas, the home service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. 2. Location is based on the posted location of the unit/posting which an individual is recorded against. Personnel deployed on operations to an area away from their posted unit location are shown against their posted unit location. 3. Data are rounded to the nearest five to prevent disclosure of sensitive information. 4. Army figures are provisional pending investigation. 5. Due to the introduction of a new personnel administration system for RAF, all RAF data are provisional and subject to review. RAF data are for personnel serving at 6 March 2006. They include personnel who at that date had attested but had not begun basic training. 6. These figures do not include 540 (provisional) UK regular service personnel who have an unknown nationality marker.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what studies are being carried out on future warhead options by officials at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston.

Des Browne: There is no programme to develop a new UK nuclear warhead. As was stated in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, we retain a minimum capability to design and manufacture a new warhead, should one be required. Work by officials is now underway to prepare for decisions on the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent and also to keep options open in advance of these decisions. It remains the case that no decisions have yet been taken.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the construction of an additional tritium facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston.

Des Browne: There are currently no plans to construct an additional tritium facility at AWE. Essential refurbishment and replacement of existing facilities is planned as part of the site investment programme announced by my predecessor on 19 July 2005.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for the construction of a new facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston to make highly enriched uranium warhead components.

Des Browne: A number of options are under consideration for ensuring we retain the requisite capability. No decisions have yet been taken. The capability to manufacture highly enriched uranium is required in order to maintain the existing Trident warhead throughout its intended in-service life and to provide material for naval propulsion.

Atomic Weapons Establishment

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the A91 building at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston.

Des Browne: Plans for building A91 have not yet been formulated.

Casualty Statistics

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the ratio is between fatalities and injuries among UK armed services personnel on active service in Iraq.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 16 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 1525-26W, to the hon. Member for Woodspring (Dr. Fox).

Challenger Tanks

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of Challenger's performance in desert conditions in Iraq; and whether he has plans to  (a) increase the number deployed and  (b) improve performance of the Challenger in hot climates.

Adam Ingram: A programme of modifications to optimise the Challenger 2 Main Battle tank (CR2 MET) for use in desert conditions was begun in October 2002, including a dust mitigation package. The CR2 has performed extremely well throughout operations in Iraq and continues to do so. There are no plans to increase the numbers currently deployed. Performance, under all climatic conditions, is kept under constant review.

Cluster Munitions

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has discussed with the Belgian Government its decision to ban cluster munitions.

Adam Ingram: No formal discussions have taken place between the Secretary of State for Defence and the Belgian Government on the subject of its decision to ban cluster munitions.

Complaints Management

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the review of his Department's harassment complaints procedure was initiated; what its terms of reference were; what the target date is for completion; and what arrangements he is making for publication.

Tom Watson: The review of harassment complaints procedures was initiated on 10 May 2006. Its purpose is to review current procedures and guidance and to recommend changes as necessary. The review is due to be completed in December 2006 and the outcome will be published in a Defence Instruction Notice and other internal media.

Departmental Bills

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for legislation in the next Session of Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Leader of the House on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1432W.

Departmental Websites

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many websites there are within his responsibilities; and what the total cost of maintaining such websites was in the last year for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: There are 12 external websites that are within the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Defence, and the annual cost of running them is £1,781,123.

Disability Pensions

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the efficiency of the operation of the administration of disability pensions awarded to former members of the British Army recruited from the Indian subcontinent during the Second World War.

Tom Watson: There is no evidence of systemic problems with the administration of the scheme. In one recent case resolution was delayed due to the difficulties of arranging a medical board in India, compounded by an administrative oversight.

Engagements

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the  (a) name and  (b) rank of police officers his predecessor, the right hon. Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon), met in his official capacity between 1 July and 31 August 2003.

Des Browne: My right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoon) met no police officers in his official capacity as the then Secretary of State for Defence between 1 July and 31 August 2003, apart from the regular contact he had with those responsible for his personal protection.

Future Rapid Effect System Programme

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the progress of the Future Rapid Effect System programme; and whether the programme is on schedule.

Adam Ingram: FRES is in its initial Assessment Phase. The broad aims of this phase are to further define the FRES capability and develop a series of affordable options for meeting the requirement; to develop optimum procurement and support strategies for future phases and to manage technology and supplier risk to acceptable levels.
	All the technical risk reduction work (the Technology Demonstrator Programmes) has been launched and is on schedule.

Iraq (Military Medals)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many medals have been awarded to soldiers for serving in Iraq.

Tom Watson: As at 19 June 2006, the following medals have been issued to service personnel who have served or are serving in Iraq.
	
		
			  Award  Number awarded/issued 
			 Iraq Medal (1)104,995 
			 Victoria Cross 1 
			 George Cross 1 
			 Distinguished Service Order 12 
			 Conspicuous Gallantry Cross 9 
			 Distinguished Service Cross 1 
			 Military Cross 47 
			 Distinguished Flying Cross 13 
			 Bar to Distinguished Flying Cross 2 
			 Air Force Cross 2 
			 Queens Gallantry Cross 16 
			 George Medal 1 
			 (1) This figure is based on the statistics for the total applications assessed, minus 2 per cent. which is the estimated percentage for those applications rejected as not meeting the eligibility criteria.

Iraq (Military Medals)

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 25 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1989W, on the Iraq medal, whether any British civilian police officers have been awarded the Iraq service medal.

Tom Watson: The MOD Iraq Medal has not been awarded to any British civilian police officers.

NATO Missile Defence Study

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the NATO Missile Defence Feasibility Study will be published; and what role he will play in decisions based on the study.

Des Browne: The NATO Missile Defence Feasibility Study is classified and the disclosure of its content would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of UK armed forces or that of our allies. NATO has no plans to publish the study, but any decisions based on it will be the subject of NATO discussions in the normal way, in which the UK will be fully engaged.

Non-Proliferation Treaty

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps the Government have taken to implement its disarmament obligations under Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Des Browne: pursuant to the reply, 22 May 2006, Official Report, c. 1329-30W
	The WE117 nuclear bomb referred to in the answer should have been shown as the WE177 nuclear bomb.

Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which units the seven Panther command and liaison test vehicles are in service; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle is not yet in-service. The seven test vehicles are currently participating in trials at the Armoured Test and Development Unit in Bovington.

Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the in-service date is for the Panther Command and Liaison Vehicle; and in what order units will receive these vehicles.

Adam Ingram: The current approved ISD for the Panther vehicle is November 2007. In line with current plans, units will receive their vehicles in the following order:
	Training establishments;
	Lead brigade;
	Follow-on brigades;
	Remainder of field force users and RAF.

Porton Down

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many animals were used in scientific tests at Porton Down in each of the last three years, broken down by species.

Adam Ingram: Dstl Porton Down submits annual returns to the Home Office detailing the number of procedures undertaken which involve the use of animals as defined in the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.
	The annual returns to the Home Office for the years 2003 to 2005, by species, are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005 
			 G. Pig 653 506 661 
			 Ferret 0 42 60 
			 Hamster 70 0 0 
			 Mouse 12,645 14,737 20,016 
			 Pig 131 80 127 
			 Rabbit 22 12 3 
			 Rat 355 320 195 
			 Sheep 0 0 2 
			 Cattle 0 1 0 
			 Non-human Primate 23 30 54 
			 Total 13,899 15,728 21,118 
		
	
	I also refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 May 2006,  Official Report, column 41W, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South, (Mr. Hancock).

Terrorist Threats

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what work has been carried out to  (a) locate and  (b) monitor foreign subjects who are a potential terrorist threat to (i) the UK and (ii) British people living abroad.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	Law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies have development programmes for fighting terrorism which includes work to locate and monitor foreign nationals who represent a potential terrorist threat. The specific police budget for counter terrorism will have grown fourfold between the financial years 2002-03 and 2007-08 (in the period after the attacks of 11 September 2001). Across Government there has been a doubling of resources for counter terrorism and resilience in the same period to over £2 billion. This has included substantial additional resources to the security and intelligence agencies, including an additional £85 million since the July bombings last year to bring forward planned enhancements of their ability to collect, analyse and act upon intelligence to seek out and disrupt terrorist activity.
	The specific actions taken to locate and monitor foreign nationals who are a potential terrorist threat to Britain and British citizens abroad are operational matters for law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies.

Priory Group

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many service personnel have been treated by the Priory Group in each year since the contract with the Group began; and how many have subsequently  (a) returned to duty and  (b) been discharged;
	(2)  for what reasons the Priory Group was selected as the sole provider of in-patient psychiatric healthcare service; and which other companies applied to be considered;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the treatment provided by the Priory Group for service personnel; and what criteria he used to make that assessment.

Tom Watson: holding answer 19 June 2006
	We assess that the Priory Group provides an excellent in-patient psychiatric service based on an individual's clinical needs. Service liaison officers routinely visit the Group's hospital units where we have in-patients to ensure that our arrangements are working effectively in terms of patient care and treatment, including attending ward rounds that involve service patients; the service liaison officer also acts as a "service advocate" for the patient. They also meet regularly with Priory representatives to discuss treatment and best practice. We assess the contractual elements of our agreement with the Priory Group at quarterly meetings held between the MOD and the Priory Group. Both the service liaison officer and contract meetings examine the Priory's performance against the particular performance indicators of the contract. Furthermore, the MOD's Directorate of Healthcare monitors, on a daily basis, case management and financial components of the contract.
	The MOD's requirement for the provision of in-patient mental healthcare was advertised in the "Official Journal of the European Communities" and the "MOD Contracts Bulletin". Four companies—The Priory Group Ltd., Cygnet Healthcare Ltd., Affinity Healthcare, and Selrack Consulting—expressed an interest in the requirement. They were then invited to an Industry Day, in order to give them a better understanding of the requirement and to enable them to discuss with MOD in more detail what they would be able to provide. Following the exchange of information at the Industry Day, the MOD decided that Selrack Consulting would be unable to provide the services required and therefore invited the three remaining companies to tender. The Priory Group Ltd. and Cygnet Healthcare Ltd. submitted bids. The bid from The Priory Group Ltd. best met our requirements to provide high-quality mental health in-patient care nationwide, without delay, and within easy reach of unit, base or home.
	The contract with the Priory Group commenced on 1 December 2003. Reception of service patients by the Priory Group's inpatient facilities was phased in between 1 December 2003 and April 2004. This phase-in period allowed MOD and the Priory Group to develop interoperable working procedures and the MOD the opportunity to gradually enhance its community-based mental health teams.
	Since the beginning of the contract, The Priory Group has admitted 730 service personnel for in-patient treatment. This can be broken down by year as follows:
	
		
			   Number of patients 
			 2003-04(1) 58 
			 2004-05 321 
			 2005-06 351 
			 Total 730 
			 (1 )From l December 2003. 
		
	
	While an individual's medical record will show their medical history, at present, we do not hold centrally a collated set of records specifically limited to former patients who have returned to duty or have been discharged following treatment at the Priory. However, we have started a study into the medium to long-term prognosis of former patients who were discharged from Priory care between the 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2005. This will help to enhance our understanding of the long-term effectiveness of the treatment they received.

RAF Machrihanish

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of RAF Machrihanish.

Tom Watson: holding answer 22 June 2006
	Ministry of Defence officials are discussing with other public sector agencies, including the Scottish Executive, alternative future uses of the site and how best to manage any disposal, to protect the longer term interests of the local community and other stakeholders.
	Once these discussions have concluded I will make an announcement on how the Department plans to proceed.

Sergeant BB

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  on what date the case conference relating to the case of Sergeant BB took place; how many persons attended; what  (a) disciplines,  (b) fields of expertise,  (c) military agencies and  (d) external bodies were represented; and what measures were taken to hear evidence from (i) victims and (ii) their families;
	(2)  what recommendations were agreed following the case conference relating to the case of Sergeant BB;
	(3)  what legal expertise was available to the case conference relating to the case of Sergeant BB.

Adam Ingram: A case conference relating to Sergeant BB was convened by the Director of Personal Services (Army) on 11 May 2006. 12 individuals attended the conference representing Policy, Welfare, Military Discipline, Training, Military Postings, Legal and Police disciplines, from the Director of Personal Services (Army), Army Training and Recruiting Agency, Headquarters Adjutant General, Provost Marshal (Army), Headquarters Land Command and the Directorate of Army Legal Services. No external agencies were present and no evidence was taken.
	A number of recommendations were agreed following the case conference, which relate to an individual's suitability for employment with under 18s: the selection process; career management; standards of reporting; and awareness of the complaints process. The Army is currently considering how best to take these recommendations forward.

Trainees Accommodation

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his timetable is for  (a) planning,  (b) commissioning,  (c) construction and  (d) opening 4,000 new accommodation units for phase two trainees by 2012.

Tom Watson: The arrangements for new accommodation units to be supplied to phase 2 trainees are currently being evaluated as part of the Defence Training Review (DTR) Rationalisation programme. Very different bid proposals have been received for both DTR packages and until evaluation has concluded, and a preferred bidder for each package identified, the specifics of the solutions in terms of planning and execution of accommodation units cannot be confirmed. I anticipate announcing preferred bidders and their solutions later this year.

Trident

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where and how often the UK carries out tests to ensure the accuracy of Trident nuclear missiles.

Des Browne: The UK carries out unarmed Trident missile firings at the United States of America's Eastern Test Range after each submarine's build and Long Overhaul Period. The information collected includes accuracy data.
	The following table shows the details of previous unarmed firings:
	
		
			  Date  Vessel  Purpose  Number of unarmed missiles 
			 26 May 1994 HMS Vanguard Prior to initial deployment 1 
			 19 June 1994 HMS Vanguard Prior to initial deployment 1 
			 24 July 1995 HMS Victorious Prior to initial deployment 1 
			 22 August 1995 HMS Victorious Prior to initial deployment 1 
			 10 October 1997 HMS Vigilant Prior to initial deployment 2 
			 21 September 2000 HMS Vengeance Prior to initial deployment 1 
			 10 October 2005 HMS Vanguard Post refit (Long Overhaul Period (Refuel)) 1 
		
	
	The frequency of test firings is dependent on the Long Overhaul Period programme.

Trident

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what components of the Trident missile system are  (a) on loan or  (b) have been purchased from the United States of America.

Des Browne: The UK has no Trident missile system components on loan from the US. The UK purchased the rights to 58 Trident missiles and removable missile components under the Polaris Sales Agreement (as amended for Trident). The warheads were procured separately by the UK.

United States Bases (Jurisdiction)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which police force is responsible for investigating a serious crime committed against a British citizen where such a crime occurs on a base where US personnel outnumber UK personnel.

Tom Watson: In accordance with the Visiting Forces Act 1952, and depending on the circumstances of the case, either the local Home Department Police or the Ministry of Defence Police, can investigate a crime committed against a British citizen on a base utilised by the United States Visiting Forces.

Uranium Production Facilities

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what consultation  (a) his Department and  (b) the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston have held with representatives of the Y-12 plant in the United States of America on the construction of uranium production facilities;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with US officials on the development of a uranium production facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston.

Des Browne: Discussions on a range of nuclear issues take place on a regular basis between my officials and their US counterparts under the auspices of the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement.

Warhead Option Studies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed  (a) by his Department and  (b) at the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston on warhead option studies; what the purpose is of these studies; and what their cost is.

Des Browne: There is no programme to develop a new UK nuclear warhead. As was stated in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, we retain a minimum capability to design and manufacture a new warhead, should one be required. Work by officials is under way to prepare for decisions on the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent and also to keep options open in advance of these decisions.
	A number of people are involved in this work but it is not possible precisely to distinguish between staff employed in support of this work and those involved in sustaining the existing Trident warhead, and neither is it possible separately to identify costs.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the number of Taliban fighters operating in Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: It is not easy to distinguish between the Taliban and other groups hostile to the current political process in Afghanistan. We estimate that at any one time the Taliban may be able to call upon up to a thousand fighters in the south of Afghanistan, a primary operating area. Some groups can temporarily augment their numbers by leveraging tribal, personal and criminal networks.
	According to an Afghan spokesmen for the 'Strengthening Peace Programme', the Afghan-led programme aimed at reconciling insurgent fighters, which is led by the Senate Speaker and former President, Sibghatullah Mojadeddi, around 1,200 former insurgents have entered the programme as of early June 2006.

China

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of  (a) the change in the volume of China's trade with Africa since 2005 and  (b) its effect on (i) standards of living and (ii) democracy in those states in Africa.

Ian McCartney: The volume of trade between China and Africa has quadrupled since 2001, standing at almost US$40 billion in 2005, with the balance marginally in favour of Africa. Growth in trade looks set to continue, and is helping to fuel economic growth in Africa of more than 5 per cent., which should help to reduce poverty and improve standards of living. China has a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. We continue to encourage China to engage with Africa in a way that promotes human rights, conflict prevention, sustainable development and democratic and accountable governance, in line with the principles set out in the New Partnership for Africa's Development.
	I raised these issues with the Chinese ambassador on 21 June.

Algeria

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the recent bilateral meeting between the Government and the Government of Algeria; and what agreements on extradition and penal issues were made at the meeting.

Kim Howells: I visited Algeria on 7-8 June to co-chair the inaugural meeting of the UK/Algeria Joint Commission which aims to further the growing bilateral ties between the two countries. We discussed a range of issues including bilateral trade, support for Algeria's reforms, co-operation in areas such as counter-terrorism and illegal migration, and regional issues. We also discussed UK representation in Algiers, including the British Council. I was pleased to be able to announce that President Bouteflika will visit the UK on 11-12 July.
	During the visit the UK initialled four treaties with Algeria on Extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, Judicial Co-operation in Civil and Commercial Matters, and the Re-admission and Circulation of Persons.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions have been held with the Government of Peru regarding a United Nations Security Council resolution on Burma;
	(2)  what discussions have been held with the Governments of  (a) Congo,  (b) Tanzania and  (c) Ghana regarding a United Nations Security Council resolution on Burma.

Ian McCartney: There are on-going informal discussions regarding a resolution with UN Security Council members including Peru, Congo, Tanzania and Ghana, at official level.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  whether the Government have the legal authority to ban imports from Burma;
	(2)  whether World Trade Organisation rules prevent the United Kingdom from unilaterally imposing trade and investment sanctions on Burma.

Ian McCartney: Controls on imports into the European Community, including the UK, fall within the scope of the Community's Common Commercial Policy which is an area of exclusive Community competence. Member states can unilaterally adopt measures but these are limited to strictly defined and exceptional circumstances. Furthermore, any such measures would have to be notified and justified under these exceptions to the European Commission.
	Any unilateral measures taken by the UK against Burma would also have to satisfy relevant World Trade Organisation rules on imports of goods and services. For example, a ban on imports of goods from Burma would be in breach of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) rules and therefore would, if challenged by Burma, have to be justified under either the general or security exceptions set down in the GATT Agreement.

Burma

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government have taken to ascertain whether genocide or attempted genocide is being committed in Burma.

Ian McCartney: In co-operation with other Governments, the UN, other humanitarian organisations and non-governmental organisations, we scrutinise evidence of human rights abuses we receive from a wide range of sources. There are credible reports of large-scale human rights abuses in Burma.
	Our assessment is that there is currently insufficient evidence to establish that the intent to commit genocide exists. We shall continue to confer with the UN and international partners to ascertain whether genocide or attempted genocide is being committed in Burma.

Burma

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she  (a) last met and  (b) next expects to meet with representatives of the democratically elected government of Burma.

Ian McCartney: Burma has no democratically elected government. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no meetings with members of the Burmese Parliament elected in 1990. However, Ministers, our ambassador in Rangoon and senior officials have met members elect of the Burmese Parliament.
	Officials are in regular contact with representatives of the Burmese democratic opposition.

Burma

Robert Walter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Chinese Government on its policy towards Burma.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Mr. Hancock) on 22 June 2006,  Official Report, column 2145W.

Departmental Websites

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many websites there are within her responsibilities; and what the total cost of maintaining such websites was in the last year for which figures are available.

Geoff Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has responsibility for some 211 websites, which cost £670,000 to maintain in the financial year 2005-06. These websites include the main FCO website, Ukvisas website, more than 180 embassy and High Commission websites and the i-UK.com portal website. A full list of the websites will be placed in the Library of the House and a copy of the list will be sent to the hon. Member.

Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Union Flag will be flown from 8 a.m until sunset above Government buildings in all Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies on Her Majesty The Queen's official birthday on 17 June 2006.

Geoff Hoon: The Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies are constitutionally not part of the United Kingdom and they all have their own flags. All of the Territories and Crown Dependencies marked Her Majesty the Queen's Official Birthday by flying their own flag and/or the Union Flag above government buildings, except for Pitcairn Islands. Turks and Caicos Islands chose to celebrate the occasion on 10 June in line with their standard practice.

Foreign Travel

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on foreign travel by her Department in each of the last eight years.

Geoff Hoon: The following amounts were spent on foreign travel by Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and officials in each of the last eight financial years:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1998-99 29.8 
			 1999-2000 32.0 
			 2000-01 35.3 
			 2001-02 42.0 
			 2002-03 39.0 
			 2003-04 39.0 
			 2004-05 41.5 
			 2005-06 45.8 
		
	
	Since 1999 the Government have published, on an annual basis, the total costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500. This information is available in the Library of the House. Information for the financial year 2004-05 was published on 21 July 2005,  Official Report, column 158WS. Information for the financial year 2005-06 is in the process of being collated and will be published shortly.
	All foreign travel undertaken by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the "Ministerial Code" and the "Civil Service Management Code". Since 2004 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has followed a policy of offsetting carbon dioxide and other emissions generated by air travel of Ministers and officials based in the UK.

Human Rights

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely impact of the establishment of the United Nations Human Rights Council on the UN's effectiveness in upholding human rights.

Kim Howells: The new UN Human Rights Council has the potential to improve on the work of its predecessor, the Commission on Human Rights, in addressing pressing human rights issues around the world today. The UN General Assembly resolution establishing the Council provides for some significant improvements, including: more frequent meetings each year, at least three meetings per year for at least 10 weeks in total, which should allow the Council to address human rights issues more systematically; a new system of universal periodic review, under which the human rights record of each UN member will be reviewed; a higher election threshold for election to the Council; a wider-ranging mandate; and a more central place within the UN system, better reflecting the importance of human rights. At the same time, we expect that it should preserve some of the strengths of the Commission, including proper provision for the participation of non-governmental organisations. But, much will depend on member states' commitment to making a success of the new Council, and it is the responsibility of all UN members to ensure that it can work more effectively than its predecessor.

Human Rights

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the election process for members of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Kim Howells: The General Assembly resolution of 15 March establishing the new UN Human Rights Council raised the threshold for membership in comparison with the Council's predecessor body, the Commission on Human Rights. Candidates are now required to win a simple majority, at least 96 votes, in the General Assembly to be elected. Candidates for the first elections, in May 2006, were encouraged to make voluntary pledges and commitments on the protection and promotion of human rights, to be taken into consideration when membership was voted on. All candidates did so, although some commitments were much more substantive than others. Members are expected to uphold the highest human rights standards, to co-operate fully with the Council and to be among the first to submit themselves to the new Universal Periodic Review. Although some countries with weaker human rights records were still elected, we expect all members to take seriously the responsibilities of membership and will be looking to hold them to this.

Human Rights

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was discussed at the inaugural session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Kim Howells: The first session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) opened in Geneva on 19 June and will continue its discussions until 30 June. The session began with an inaugural ceremony, at which the UN Secretary-General, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the President of the UN General Assembly gave speeches on the establishment of the HRC and their expectations for its work. The Nobel Peace Laureate of 2004, Wangari Maathai, also spoke.
	The first week of this first meeting of the HRC (19-22 June) was devoted to a "high level segment" allowing Ministers from UN member states to make statements on their expectations for the Council. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade represented the UK on Tuesday 20 June. In his speech, he called for all to work together towards an effective HRC. Non-governmental organisations and national human rights institutions will have the opportunity to address the Council at this inaugural session. We expect the agenda for the further work of the session to be presented for agreement towards the end of this first week.

Japan/South Korea

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the recent territorial talks between Japan and South Korea; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The latest round of territorial talks, concluded in Tokyo on 13 June, did not bring Japan and South Korea (RoK) any closer to resolving their dispute. Japan and RoK still remain apart over demarcating their exclusive economic zones around a pair of RoK-controlled islets, known as Takeshima in Japan and Tokdo in South Korea.
	The islets have long been a source of dispute between the two nations which both claim sovereignty over them. Even though no concrete progress was made during the talks, it is welcome that they took place, after a six-year suspension. The two sides agreed in principle to hold their next round of talks in September in Seoul.

Japan/South Korea

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much her Department spent in each of the last five years on building links between the UK and  (a) Korea and  (b) Japan in the (i) science, (ii) engineering and (iii) innovation sectors.

Ian McCartney: Since 2000, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has been improving its links on Science, Innovation and Engineering in Japan and South Korea through a dedicated network of Science and Innovation Officers. This has been as part of the Government' overall science strategy. The FCO has spent the amounts listed on promoting Science, Innovation and Engineering in Japan and South Korea. Since the FCO does not promote Science, Innovation and Engineering separately the figures relate to spending on all three of these areas.
	The figures are displayed by country, year and the type of spending. The staff costs given relate to the full economic costs of employing the science officers working in each country in a given year. The number of science officers employed in each country is given in brackets next to the staff costs.
	
		
			  Japan 
			  Financial year  Cost (£) 
			  2001-02  
			 Administration and entertainment costs 20,300 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 12 science and innovation officers) 1,620,364 
			 Total 1,640,664 
			  2002-03  
			 Administration and entertainment costs 17,700 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 12 science and innovation officers) 1,673,584 
			 FCO programme budget spending 29,000 
			 Total 1,720,284 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Administration and entertainment costs 20,000 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 12 science and innovation officers) 1,717,432 
			 Global opportunities fund projects 62,000 
			 FCO programme budget spending 20,000 
			 Public diplomacy challenge fund 223,000 
			 Total 2,042,432 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Administration and entertainment costs 23,000 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 13 science and innovation officers) 1,755,044 
			 Global opportunities fund projects 254,000 
			 FCO programme budget spending 3,000 
			 Total 2,035,044 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Administration and entertainment costs 23,700 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 13 science and innovation officers) 1,996,272 
			 Global opportunities fund projects 327,000 
			 FCO programme budget spending 23,000 
			 Total 2,369,972 
		
	
	
		
			  South Korea 
			  Financial year  Cost (£) 
			  2001-02  
			 Administration and entertainment costs (1)— 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 5 science and innovation officers) 283,410 
			 Chevening scholarships for science and technology 255,000 
			 Total (excluding administration costs) 538,410 
			   
			  2002-03  
			 Administration and entertainment costs 5,700 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 5 science and innovation officers) 292,718 
			 Chevening scholarships for science and technology 185,000 
			 Total 483,418 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Administration and entertainment costs 6,000 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 5 science and innovation officers) 300,387 
			 Chevening scholarships for science and technology 180,000 
			 Total 486,387 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Administration and entertainment costs 6,700 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 5 science and innovation officers) 306,966 
			 Chevening scholarships for science and technology 106,000 
			 Total 419,666 
			  2005-06 
			 Administration and entertainment costs 3,000 
			 Staff costs (full economic cost of 5 science and innovation officers) 313,381 
			 Chevening scholarships for science and technology 74,000 
			 Global opportunities fund projects 50,000 
			 Total 440,381 
			 (1) Figures not available.

Kosovo

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the European Union in achieving agreement on the future status of Kosovo; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The EU continues to support the UN led status process and looks forward to a settlement that will bring lasting peace and security to Kosovo and the wider region. The European Council held on 15/16 June declared
	'its support to the ongoing talks about the future status led by UN Envoy Martti Ahtisaari and stressed the crucial importance of moving forward on the implementation of standards in Kosovo. In close consultation with key international actors, the EU stands ready to enhance its role in Kosovo following a status determination, in particular in the areas of police, rule of law and the economy'.
	The full text of the presidency conclusions from the 15/16 June European Council can be found at: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ec/9Ql11.pdf

Norfolk Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the constitutional status of Norfolk Island in the response to the Australian Government's proposals to change the arrangements for governance of the Island.

Ian McCartney: Norfolk Island was placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1914. Its system of government remains a matter for the Government of Australia to determine.

Norfolk Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government plans to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Norfolk Island being given to the inhabitants of Pitcairn Island by Queen Victoria.

Ian McCartney: The Government have no plans to commemorate this anniversary.

Norfolk Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there is a mechanism by which Norfolk Island could petition the Government to secede as a self-governing Australian Territory and become a self-governing British Overseas Territory.

Ian McCartney: Norfolk Island has been an external territory under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia since 1914. Its system of government remains a matter for the Government of Australia to determine.

Norfolk Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she plans to visit Norfolk Island.

Ian McCartney: There are no plans for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to visit Norfolk Island.

Norfolk Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on Australia's proposed changes to the governance of Norfolk Island.

Ian McCartney: Norfolk Island was placed under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1914. Its system of government remains a matter for the Government of Australia to determine.

Norfolk Island

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government has had discussions with the Australian Government on the sovereignty of Norfolk Island since 2000.

Ian McCartney: No discussions have taken place between the Government and the Government of Australia on the sovereignty of Norfolk Island since 2000.

North Korea

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of reports that North Korea can launch a Taepodong-2 missile with potential nuclear capability; and what recent discussions she has had with the  (a) UN,  (b) US and  (c) EU on this issue.

Ian McCartney: We are very concerned about reports of a possible test-launch of a Taepodong-2 missile/Satellite Launch Vehicle and are monitoring the situation closely. We have made clear our view to the Democratic People's Republic Korea, as have the EU, US, Japan and others, that this would be seen as a provocative act, which would add considerable tension to an already complex regional situation. We have urged them not to test, but to stick to their commitments under the 1999 moratorium and the 2002 Pyongyang Declaration and return to the Six Party Talks. We continue to work closely with allies, including US, NATO and EU partners to ensure a co-ordinated UN response if the test goes ahead.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to implement the last part of Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; when she expects the Article to be implemented; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UK has undertaken many important steps in fulfilling its disarmament obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Since the end of the Cold War we have reduced the total explosive power of our nuclear forces by over 70 per cent. and we are the only nuclear weapon state to have reduced its deterrent capacity to a single nuclear weapons system, Trident.
	We continue to press for multilateral negotiations towards both nuclear, and general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, as required by Article VI of the NPT. On nuclear disarmament our current priority is to push for negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, without pre-conditions, at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, which we view as the next appropriate step towards achieving the goal of nuclear disarmament. On conventional arms control, we are also active. The UK is leading the campaign to launch work within a UN framework towards an Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the global trade in all conventional weapons. And next week in New York at the First Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), the UK will be leading the campaign to build maximum support for common international guidelines for transfers of SALW.

Organ Harvesting (China)

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2006, O fficial Report, column 628W, on organ harvesting (China), what assessment she has made of the legality of contracts entered into by Chinese prisoners with the Chinese Government for organ donation.

Ian McCartney: The Government has the Chinese Government's assurance that prisoners agree to the donations voluntarily and that, in some cases, their families are paid. We are not privy to the way these donations are agreed and therefore not in a position to make any form of assessment. We continue to be concerned about the use of prisoners' organs and to raise these concerns with the Chinese Government.

Organ Harvesting (China)

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 May 2006,  Official Report, column 628W, on organ harvesting (China), what further representations she plans to make to the Chinese government following the implementation of regulations relating to the sale of organs in China on 1 July.

Ian McCartney: The Government remain concerned about the use of organs from executed prisoners in China. At the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2006, delegates discussed the detail of China's new regulation to ban the sale of organs and introduce medical standards for organ transplants, and the importance of adhering to World Medical Association standards for organ transplants. We will continue to pursue these issues with Chinese interlocutors.

Outer Space Treaty

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress of the Outer Space Treaty.

Kim Howells: The Outer Space treaty (1967), to which the UK is a depository, entered into force on 10 October 1967. The treaty places important constraints on the use of space, including prohibiting the deployment of weapons of mass destruction in space and military activity on the moon and other celestial bodies. Since 1967, there has been growing support for the Outer Space treaty: 98 states have now ratified the treaty and an additional 27 are signatories. The Outer Space treaty has become the cornerstone of international space law and the UK continues to be a firm supporter and to abide by each of the treaty's principles.

Fugitive Indictees

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the hunt for  (a) Radovan Karadzic,  (b) General Ratko Mladic and  (c) Vlastimir Djordjevic; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: In her address to the UN Security Council on 7 June, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla Del Ponte, was critical of the Serbian authorities' efforts to arrest Ratko Mladic and the other remaining fugitive indictees. She noted that there was serious political and administrative resistance from within the Serbian system, and underlined that strong political will was required to overcome these obstacles.
	The Chief Prosecutor also stressed that the Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) had to increase its efforts to locate and arrest fugitives. It was unclear where Radovan Karadzic himself resided, but part of his network and his family remained in BiH. She also expressed disappointment at the lack of progress in locating Vlastimir Djordjevic. She believes he may be in Russia but investigations by the Russian authorities have failed to produce results.
	As we regularly make clear to the countries of the region, full co-operation with the ICTY remains a fundamental requirement for progress towards the EU and NATO. We supported the decision in May of EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn to disrupt Serbia's Stabilisation and Association Agreement negotiations because of Belgrade's failure to co-operate fully with the ICTY. The Commission has made clear however, that they stand ready to resume the talks as soon as full co-operation is achieved.

Renditions

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any  (a) known and  (b) suspected al-Qaeda operative found in the UK since 1997 has been rendered to the US.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement by the then Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Blackburn (Mr. Straw) of 20 January 2006,  Official Report, columns 37-38WS, which summarises the position in respect of renditions through UK territory or airspace since May 1997.

UN Secretary General

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Ministers in her Department have had with candidates for the position of Secretary General of the United Nations.

Kim Howells: Ministers and officials have held a number of meetings in recent months with candidates who have declared an interest in the position of United Nations Secretary General. They have met all four declared candidates, Ban Ki-Moon, Dr. Surakiart Sathirathai, Jayantha Dhanapala and Shashi Tharoor. These discussions focussed on a wide range of issues including UN reform.

UN Secretary General

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK Government will be supporting any candidate in the forthcoming selection of the new Secretary General of the United Nations.

Kim Howells: It is long standing UK policy not to reveal publicly our voting intentions for the election of the UN Secretary-General. The Government will carefully consider the merits of each candidate. We believe the successful candidate needs to have the political skills and management experience to carry forward necessary reforms to the UN.

Sierra Leone

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written statement of 15 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 69-70WS, on Sierra Leone, who will bear the costs if Charles Taylor is sent to prison in the United Kingdom.

Kim Howells: If Charles Taylor were convicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone and imprisoned in the United Kingdom, the UK would meet the cost. This is in line with established policy for commitments arising from sentence enforcement agreements with international criminal tribunals.
	It is judged preferable for the UK to meet directly the costs associated with prisoners held in the UK system than to take on the more general, and possibly greater, financial commitment that would arise if all sentence enforcement costs, relating to imprisonment in any state of those convicted by an international criminal tribunal, were added to the tribunal running costs, to which the UK contributes.

Somalia

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking towards ensuring the safety of British citizens based in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice continues firmly to advise British citizens against all travel to Somalia. We keep that advice under review and have updated it to take account of the most recent developments. We have no diplomatic representation in Somalia and very little capacity to assist any British citizens based there.

Sri Lanka

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the situation in Sri Lanka following the bombing on Thursday 15 June and the subsequent government attacks on Tamil forces; and what role the UK is playing in seeking to stabilise the country.

Kim Howells: We remain deeply concerned at the violence in Sri Lanka and, again, offer our condolences following last week's attack in Kebitigollawe. Such barbaric acts have no place in the search for a solution to the conflict. I issued a statement on 15 June condemning this attack unreservedly along with all forms of violence and intimidation. That statement is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1150379181467%20&year=2006&month=2006-06-01&date=2006-06-15.
	There is a real need for political will on all sides to change the dynamics of the conflict. Violence can never be an answer to Sri Lanka's problems; all sides need to understand this. It is vital that both sides, which were at the Geneva talks in February, live up to their commitments. This includes the Sri Lankan Government acting constructively to ensure that paramilitaries or others are not able to operate, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eeelam (LTTE) calling a halt to acts of violence against civilians, the security forces and police, and both sides ensuring that intimidation, acts of violence, abductions and killings cease. We continue to believe that dialogue is the only way to achieve a negotiated settlement to the conflict, which takes full account of the legitimate demands of all communities and promotes a democratic and stable Sri Lanka. All sides need to exercise restraint and act constructively.
	We fully support the Norwegian peace facilitation efforts. We welcome the recent statements of commitment to the Ceasefire Agreement by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE and continue to do what we can to encourage both sides to return in good faith, to face-to-face talks. We make this clear in our regular contacts with the Sri Lankan Government, Members of Parliament, including representatives of Tamil political groups, and civil society. We also actively contribute to the EU's work, not least in its role as one of the Tokyo co-chairs to the Sri Lankan peace process.

Staff Absenteeism

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many working days have been lost to the Department and its executive agencies in each year since 1997 due to staff absenteeism, expressed as the average annual number of absent days per employee; and what the estimated cost to the Department and its agencies of absenteeism was in each year.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 19 June 2006
	The average number of working days lost through sick absence since 2000, the year from which reliable records were held, and the estimated cost to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is as follows:
	
		
			   Days  Cost (£) 
			 2000 2.87 1,103,794.80 
			 2001 4.55 1,823,124.68 
			 2002 4.88 2,091,575.58 
			 2003 5.59 2,626,479.90 
			 2004 6.18 3,096,696.68 
		
	
	Data for 2005 are not yet available.

Syria/Iran

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the recent discussions between the Syrian and Iranian Governments on strategic and military co-operation; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Syria and Iran reportedly signed a Memorandum of Understanding on defence issues during a visit to Tehran by the Syrian Defence Minister, Hassan Turkmani, on 15 June. We continue to have serious concerns about the role of Syria and Iran in the region, including their support for Hizbollah and Palestinian rejectionist groups that continue to espouse violence. Further military co-operation between Syria and Iran is unlikely to build international confidence. We urge both countries to fulfil their obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1680.

Turkey

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in accession negotiations on Turkey's membership of the European Union; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Since opening accession negotiations on 3 October 2005, the Commission has been assessing Turkey's existing legislation against the 35 chapters of the EU acquis and has now published its reports on five. We were pleased that on 12 June the EU and Turkey opened and provisionally closed negotiations on the first chapter, Science and Research. As both the EU and Turkey recognise, much remains to be done before accession.

West Papua

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Department has received on behalf of the people of West Papua; and what representations she has made on their behalf to the Government of Indonesia.

Ian McCartney: In recent months, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received a small number of letters from members of the public and hon. Members about Papua. There have also been a few parliamentary questions tabled. The then Minister of State for Trade my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, South (Ian Pearson) held a meeting with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Papua on 16 March. Some civil society representatives interested in Papuan issues also attended that meeting.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any representations about Papua to the Government of Indonesia. However, our embassy in Jakarta discusses Papua with the Indonesian authorities. During his visit to Indonesia on 29-30 March, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister expressed the UK's support for dialogue between the central Government and representatives of the Papuan people. The UK supports the territorial integrity of Indonesia. We believe that full implementation of existing Special Autonomy legislation is the best way to proceed towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous Papua.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Age Positive Campaign

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent per head of population on the Age Positive campaign in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06; and how much has been spent in 2006-07.

Maria Eagle: The total costs associated with the Age Positive campaign for the period requested are:
	
		
			   £  £ per head of population 
			 2004-05 68,242 0.040 
			 2005-06 6,022 0.0036 
			 2006-07 (1)— (1)— 
			 (1) No costs have yet been incurred during the current financial year

Assets Recovery Agency

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been investigated by the Assets Recovery Agency.

Paul Goggins: The Assets Recovery Agency is not a prosecuting authority and does not investigate individuals, but rather investigates assets. In terms of caseload since the agency's inception, ARA has adopted and investigated the following case levels for civil recovery and tax:
	
		
			   Referrals( 1)  Adoptions( 2) 
			  Referred cases   
			 2003-04 25 15 
			 2004-05 43 16 
			 2005-06 49 38 
			  Target   
			 2006-07 — 30-40 
			 (1) Referrals include all cases referred including cases under assessment for adoption, adopted cases, completed cases and rejected/withdrawn cases. (2 )Adoptions include cases under investigation and completed cases. This does not include cases that were adopted and subsequently withdrawn.

Breath Testing

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were breathalysed in  (a) West Belfast,  (b) East Belfast,  (c) South Belfast,  (d) North Belfast and  (e) Castlereagh District Command Units in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		
			   East Belfast  West Belfast  South Belfast  North Belfast  Castlereagh 
			 2003(1) 370 605 1,279 479 125 
			 2004 1,338 654 1,889 903 295 
			 2005 1,439 480 2,533 685 198 
			 (1) Earliest date for which information is available.

Cervical Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Paul Goggins: Between 1 January 1993 and 31 December 2003, 895 females were diagnosed with cervical cancer in Northern Ireland.
	This information has been provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (established in 2004) and is the most up to date currently available.

Cervical Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new cases of cervical cancer have been diagnosed in the Province in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The following table details information on the incidence of cervical cancer (ICD-10 C53) in Northern Ireland for the last 10 years for which data were available.
	
		
			  Cervical cancer incidence in Northern Ireland: 1994-2003 
			   Number 
			 1994 75 
			 1995 86 
			 1996 93 
			 1997 84 
			 1998 80 
			 1999 75 
			 2000 96 
			 2001 72 
			 2002 79 
			 2003 71 
		
	
	This information has been provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and is the most up to date currently available.

Cervical Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths have there been from cervical cancer in the Province in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: The table gives the number of deaths due to cervical cancer(1) in Northern Ireland for the last 10 years.
	(1) International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision code C53 for years 2001-05 and Ninth Revision code 180 for years 1996-2000.
	
		
			  Deaths due to cervical cancer 
			  Registration year  Number 
			 1996 45 
			 1997 26 
			 1898 33 
			 1999 36 
			 2000 30 
			 2001 24 
			 2002 25 
			 2003 31 
			 2004 37 
			 2005(1) 20 
			 (1) Provisional.

Cervical Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals from each health board area in the Province  (a) were offered and  (b) received screening for cervical cancer in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table provides figures for the number of women from each Health Board area in Northern Ireland who  (a) were eligible to receive cervical screening and  (b) received cervical screening at least once in the previous five years. The totals provided are for five year periods from period ending 31 March 2001 to period ending 31 March 2005.
	
		
			   (a) Eligible population  (b) Received cervical screening at least once in last five years 
			  Five year period ending 31 March 2005/Health Board  Number  Number  Percentage 
			  2000-01
			 Eastern 163,439 109,493 66.99 
			 Northern 101,037 75,755 74.98 
			 Southern 74,870 54,310 72.54 
			 Western 72,820 49,503 67.98 
			 
			  2001-02
			 Eastern 157,054 108,633 69.17 
			 Northern 98,489 75,806 76.97 
			 Southern 73,303 54,598 74.48 
			 Western 71,607 49,883 69.66 
			 
			  2002-03
			 Eastern 156,814 108,457 69.16 
			 Northern 98,345 75,863 77.14 
			 Southern 73,775 54,944 74.47 
			 Western 72,262 49,653 68.71 
			 
			  2003-04
			 Eastern 154,526 105,094 68.01 
			 Northern 96,776 73,527 75.98 
			 Southern 73,748 54,504 73.91 
			 Western 71,849 49,522 68.92 
			 
			  2004-05
			 Eastern 162,291 109,527 67.49 
			 Northern 91,452 69,978 76.52 
			 Southern 72,954 53,436 73.25 
			 Western 71,462 49,707 69.56 
			  Note: The eligible population is the number of women aged 25-64, from the mid year estimates of population who were eligible for cervical cancer screening in Northern Ireland.  Source: Quality Assurance Reference Centre

Cervical Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were found to have abnormal cervical smears in the Province in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The number of abnormal cervical smear results in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of abnormal smear results 
			 2000-01 6,551 
			 2001-02 7,781 
			 2002-03 6,702 
			 2003-04 5,496 
			 2004-05 6,058 
			  Source: Quality Assurance Reference Centre—KC53a

Cervical Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the merits of introducing a human papilloma virus vaccination programme.

Paul Goggins: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is currently considering if and how a human papilloma vaccination programme might be introduced across the UK. There is currently no human papilloma vaccine licensed in the UK.

Cervical Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hospital admissions there have been in the Province for cervical cancer in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table details the number of admissions(1 )to hospital with a primary diagnosis of cervical cancer, for each year between 2000-01 and 2004-05 (the latest year for which data are available).
	It should be noted that any individual could have been admitted to hospital more than once over the course of a year or over a number of years and would therefore be counted more than once in the table.
	
		
			   Admissions( 1) 
			 2000-01 320 
			 2001-02 349 
			 2002-03 409 
			 2003-04 358 
			 2004-05 333 
			 (1) Discharges and deaths are used as an approximation to admissions.  Source: Hospital Inpatients System

Cervical Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many bed days in the Province were accounted for by admissions for cervical cancer in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The following table details the number of bed days accounted for by admissions to hospital with a primary diagnosis of cervical cancer, for each year between 2000-01 and 2004-05 (the latest year for which data are available).
	
		
			   Bed days 
			 2000-01 1,670 
			 2001-02 2,328 
			 2002-03 2,034 
			 2003-04 2,213 
			 2004-05 1,726 
			  Note: Discharges and deaths are used as an approximation to admissions.  Source: Hospital Inpatients System

Cervical Cancer

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many operations to remove cervical lesions took place in the Province in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The number of operations to remove cervical lesions performed in HPSS hospitals in Northern Ireland in each year between 2000-01 and 2004-05 is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			   Removal of cervical lesions 
			 2000-01 2,977 
			 2001-02 2,898 
			 2002-03 2,935 
			 2003-04 2,591 
			 2004-05 2,482 
			  Source: Hospital Inpatients System

Community-based Sentences

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many criminal offences resulted in a sentence of community work in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months; and how many were completed.

David Hanson: According to figures provided by the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) in relation to the period 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006, 652 community service orders were made, representing a contribution of approximately 95,000 hours of unpaid work to the community, while 212 combination orders were made, representing a contribution of approximately 25,000 hours of unpaid work to the community.
	Over the same period, 514 community service orders and 154 Combination orders were completed. It should be noted that figures are collated based on the number of persons convicted rather than the number of offences.

Council Audits

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action his Department is taking to reduce the cost of auditing local councils in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: Audit fees, which are determined by the Department in discussion with the local government Audit Office, seek to recover 100 per cent. of auditors' time. Time spent on the audit of district councils' accounts is kept to a minimum and the Department monitors the position of these statutory audits through regular meetings with the Chief Local Government Auditor.

Council Audits

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost of audit fees was for each local council in Northern Ireland in each year since 1990.

David Cairns: The records for audit fees charged to individual district councils are not held centrally prior to 1998-99. Fees for the financial years 1998-99 to 2004-05 are set out in the table.
	
		
			  £ 
			  District council  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05( 1) 
			 Antrim 10,824 10,544 15,797 23,436 19,816 (2)20,051 15,280 
			 Ards 14,099 15,417 15,656 20,315 19,742 20,924 24,130 
			 Armagh 11,709 12,307 13,030 17,106 18,322 (2)33,535 16,100 
			 Ballymena 16,789 19,820 21,211 21,994 20,886 23,243 25,000 
			 Ballymoney 8,954 9,801 13,628 13,711 11,613 15,605 13,300 
			 Banbridge 8,304 11,009 16,432 12,189 11,432 13,255 11,250 
			 Belfast 89,921 81,080 83,672 96,575 109,547 131,859 126,000 
			 Carrickfergus 14,567 16,919 13,551 15,005 16,113 16,419 15,300 
			 Castlereagh 16,038 21,820 22,939 22,252 23,784 (2)27,158 22,100 
			 Coleraine 13,036 13,593 19,220 17,785 18,416 18,971 17,700 
			 Cookstown 8,351 10,006 9,157 12,832 12,620 13,379 11,250 
			 Craigavon 15,363 17,347 20,179 18,958 26,372 (2)29,863 22,100 
			 Derry 28,612 33,670 22,081 21,599 26,947 27,981 28,150 
			 Down 15,364 17,612 17,283 20,053 17,927 (2)23,523 24,150 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 11,996 13,220 12,973 15,036 15,272 18,231 15,300 
			 Fermanagh 9,947 9,604 11,179 15,906 77,127 (2)24,605 15,300 
			 Larne 11,538 17,669 12,918 18,298 14,405 16,677 13,300 
			 Limavady 9,283 11,349 12,471 11,380 11,618 17,318 13,300 
			 Lisburn 19,968 21,697 25,490 27,479 21,570 22,381 26,150 
			 Magherafelt 8,743 7,398 7,853 12,454 14,646 13,546 13,300 
			 Moyle 13,119 11,874 12,455 19,013 14,926 14,483 12,050 
			 Newry and Mourne 17,788 19,950 23,470 27,333 27,161 (2)40,855 28,150 
			 Newtownabbey 14,110 39,175 43,069 27,819 22,025 22,694 24,150 
			 North Down 16,333 20,579 21,838 18,592 24,699 32,650 26,500 
			 Omagh 11,800 12,303 16,954 13,071 14,420 19,138 18,900 
			 Strabane 11,707 14,681 37,198 17,060 12,415 18,380 15,300 
			 (1 )Estimate. (2) Audits not yet complete.

Departmental Chief Accounting Officer

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) name,  (b) professional and academic qualifications and  (c) relevant experience are of the chief accounting officer of his Department.

Paul Goggins: Accounting officer is a role that the permanent secretary combines with his personal responsibility for the overall organisation, management and staffing of the Department and for department-wide procedures in financial and other matters.
	The accounting officer is assisted in the discharge of these duties by suitably qualified and experienced senior managers. The head of financial services division of the Northern Ireland Office is a professionally qualified accountant.

Education

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what steps  (a) education and library boards and  (b) the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools are taking in their rationalisation plans to ensure that the principles of the Policy and Strategic Framework for Good Relations in Northern Ireland: A Shared Future are delivered;
	(2)  what the timescale is for the strategic review of the schools estate; and whether it will consider how promoting cross-community and cross-sectoral sharing can be incorporated into rationalisation of schools.

Maria Eagle: The independent Strategic Review of Education will consider how strategic planning and rationalisation of the schools' estate can best encourage and support cross-community and cross-sector collaboration and models of schooling that promote greater integrating of education. It is due to be completed by November 2006. In line with the First Triennial Action Plan for A Shared Future, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools and the Education and Library Boards will be required to demonstrate that options for collaboration/sharing on a cross-community basis have been considered and fully explored in developing their plans for reorganisation/rationalisation of the schools' estate. The outcome of the strategic review of education may lead to further refinement of the commitments and detailed actions in the Action Plan.

Education

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what role the new district councils will have in planning for educational choice in Northern Ireland following the Review of Public Administration.

David Cairns: As part of the implementation of the Review of Public Administration, district councils will be given community planning powers. The Department of Environment (DoE) is currently developing proposals to inform the necessary legislation. The community planning process will afford local government the opportunity to influence the planning for educational choice

Education

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  who will be responsible for ensuring that actions to support greater sharing in education under the Triennial Action Plan for A Shared Future are monitored;
	(2)  what powers he has to ensure that all educational partners in Northern Ireland meet the requirements of the Policy and Strategic Framework for Good Relations: A Shared Future?

David Hanson: The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister is responsible for monitoring the actions flowing from the Triennial Action Plan for A Shared Future.
	The Shared Future Triennial Action Plan, published on 27 April 2006, sets out ministerial commitments and actions in relation to A Shared Future. Specific actions are set out to promote greater sharing in education.
	The commitments and actions are underpinned by existing duties and obligations under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 and the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 as amended.

Emergency Services

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attacks have been recorded on each emergency service in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The numbers of attacks on emergency services in Northern Ireland in each of the last three calendar years are as follows:
	
		
			   2003  2004  2005  Total 
			 Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (1)173 (1)108 71 352 
			 Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service 327 327 328 982 
			 Police Service of Northern Ireland 1,169 1,210 2,330 4,709 
			 Total 1,669 1,645 2,729 6,043 
			 (1) Figures for Northern Ireland Ambulance Service attacks differ slightly from those previously supplied as a result of a data cleanse in 2005, which removed duplications, and introduction of new software to record the information.

Energy Prices

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the effect of gas prices on Northern Ireland industry.

Maria Eagle: As a result of increased prices in world energy markets, gas prices have increased across the UK in recent months.
	On 30 January the Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela E. Smith), announced the introduction of competition for natural gas users in the Phoenix licence area of Greater Belfast and Larne. This will be introduced on a phased basis to all customers by 1 January 2007 and end the monopoly position held by Phoenix. Competition elsewhere has provided consumers with increased choice of supplier, greater transparency, improved customer service and a downward pressure on the price of gas.
	In March 2006 my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a further five year exemption from 2006-11 from the climate change levy for natural gas industrial and commercial users in Northern Ireland. This will improve competitiveness and save £20 million over the five year period. It makes natural gas a more competitive fuel and encourages the uptake of gas which facilitates the roll-out to domestic customers in ten towns outside the greater Belfast and Larne area.

False Alarm Call-outs

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many false alarm call-outs have been registered by the  (a) Northern Ireland Ambulance Service,  (b) Police Service of Northern Ireland and  (c) Northern Ireland Fire Service in each of the last three years, broken down by constituency; how many prosecutions were pursued in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) dealt with the following numbers of false alarm call-outs in the last two financial years. Figures prior to 2004-05 are not available.
	
		
			  2005-06 
			  Parliamentary constituency  Hoax caller  No case/Nothing found at scene  Total 
			 Constituency not known 2,498 301 2,799 
			 Belfast East 66 118 184 
			 Belfast North 121 201 322 
			 Belfast South 103 274 377 
			 Belfast West 177 241 418 
			 East Antrim 63 76 139 
			 East Londonderry 76 95 171 
			 Fermanagh/South Tyrone 70 78 148 
			 Foyle 173 150 323 
			 Lagan Valley 48 102 150 
			 Mid Ulster 54 79 133 
			 Newry and Armagh 102 110 212 
			 North Antrim 128 95 223 
			 North Down 134 104 238 
			 South Antrim 74 89 163 
			 South Down 81 116 197 
			 Strangford 63 95 158 
			 Upper Bann 75 121 196 
			 West Tyrone 93 81 174 
			 Total 4,199 2,526 6,725 
		
	
	
		
			  2004-05 
			  Parliamentary constituency  Hoax caller  No case/Nothing found at scene  Total 
			 Constituency not known 2,365 420 2,785 
			 Belfast East 88 133 221 
			 Belfast North 238 235 473 
			 Belfast South 137 318 455 
			 Belfast West 181 219 400 
			 East Antrim 103 72 175 
			 East Londonderry 125 84 209 
			 Fermanagh/South Tyrone 163 90 253 
			 Foyle 228 127 355 
			 Lagan Valley 61 110 171 
			 Mid Ulster 55 82 137 
			 Newry and Armagh 179 140 319 
			 North Antrim 150 91 241 
			 North Down 85 99 184 
			 South Antrim 146 107 253 
			 South Down 112 114 226 
			 Strangford 62 102 164 
			 Upper Bann 144 111 255 
			 West Tyrone 133 72 205 
			 Total 4,755 2,726 7,481 
		
	
	The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) dealt with the following numbers of hoax calls in each of the last three calendar years.
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  2003  2004  2005  Total 
			 Constituency not known 1,936 2,549 2,508 6,993 
			 Belfast East 247 157 137 541 
			 Belfast North 344 241 154 739 
			 Belfast South 500 430 341 1,271 
			 Belfast West 279 208 171 658 
			 East Antrim 128 136 71 335 
			 East Londonderry 244 233 133 610 
			 Fermanagh/South Tyrone 138 132 102 372 
			 Foyle 347 264 233 844 
			 Lagan Valley 70 65 45 180 
			 Mid Ulster 75 69 53 197 
			 Newry and Armagh 310 308 195 813 
			 North Antrim 163 116 102 381 
			 North Down 154 108 161 423 
			 South Antrim 232 243 170 645 
			 South Down 242 257 182 681 
			 Strangford 128 105 70 303 
			 Upper Bann 182 192 119 493 
			 West Tyrone 154 139 132 425 
			 Total 5,873 5,952 5,079 16,904 
		
	
	In addition, NIFRS dealt with the following numbers of false alarms from Automated Fire Alarms:
	
		
			  Parliamentary constituency  2003  2004  2005  Total 
			 Constituency not known 0 1 4 5 
			 Belfast East 509 578 541 1,628 
			 Belfast North 401 429 428 1,258 
			 Belfast South 1,319 1,339 1,446 4,104 
			 Belfast West 499 439 404 1,342 
			 East Antrim 219 205 239 663 
			 East Londonderry 298 304 351 953 
			 Fermanagh/South Tyrone 426 446 453 1,325 
			 Foyle 919 929 815 2,663 
			 Lagan Valley 374 389 327 1,090 
			 Mid Ulster 140 163 188 491 
			 Newry and Armagh 277 308 291 876 
			 North Antrim 262 285 320 867 
			 North Down 251 294 302 847 
			 South Antrim 659 603 717 1,979 
			 South Down 341 294 287 922 
			 Strangford 183 211 209 603 
			 Upper Bann 376 359 371 1,106 
			 West Tyrone 229 280 357 866 
			 Total 7,682 7,856 8,050 23,588 
		
	
	The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has advised that the information requested is not collected in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Under the Communications Act 2003, the maximum penalty for those caught making hoax or malicious calls is a fine not exceeding £5,000 and/or a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months. NIAS and NIFRS have not pursued any prosecutions to date.
	Hoax calls and false alarms are serious distraction to the excellent work done by the emergency services and are a waste of their time and resources. However, the most serious aspect is the potential for serious injury or loss of life if the emergency services are not available to respond to genuine emergencies or are delayed in responding because crews are deployed responding to hoax calls or false alarms.

Knives

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been  (a) fined and  (b) imprisoned for illegally selling knives to under 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: During the period 1994 to 2003, there were no convictions for the offence of 'unlawful sale of a knife to person under 16'. Data beyond 2003 is not yet available. Data are collated on the principal offence rule, thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included. The Government are concerned by the issue of knife crime and is attaching high priority to finding ways in which the law can be strengthened and enforced in respect of illegal possession and sale of knives.

Mental Health

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals in Northern Ireland suffering from depression were recorded as attempting suicide in each of the last five years, broken down by health board.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not available.

Mini-motorbikes

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what seizure powers are available to  (a) the police and  (b) local authorities in Northern Ireland in relation to mini-motorbikes;
	(2)  what measures are in place to prevent the  (a) sale to and  (b) use by children aged under 16 years of mini-motorbikes in Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: Neither police nor local authorities in Northern Ireland currently have seizure powers in relation to mini-motorbikes.
	However, we recently consulted on legislative proposals to give the PSNI powers to seize motor vehicles, including mini-motorbikes, being driven on public roads while uninsured and these will be brought into effect in due course.
	Furthermore, we will shortly be consulting on a range of measures to improve the environmental quality of local neighbourhoods in Northern Ireland, including proposals to update legislative powers in relation to statutory nuisance, including noise nuisance emanating from vehicles (such as mini-motorbikes in the street).
	However, the police have powers under Road Traffic and Vehicles legislation to prosecute users of vehicles (including mini-motorbikes) where they are used on a road without being modified to comply with construction and use, lighting and type approval requirements. Police can also prosecute for breach of the requirements for drivers of such vehicles to be 16 or over, to hold an appropriate driving licence, have minimum third party insurance and have the vehicle insured.
	The police can also prosecute where mechanically propelled vehicles (including mini-motorbikes) are used off-road without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

Pensioner Poverty

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many pensioners are living in poverty in each constituency in Northern Ireland; what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners who do not claim the benefits to which they are entitled; and what steps the Government are taking to increase take-up of benefit by pensioners.

David Hanson: Figures for the number of pensioners on a single year basis by parliamentary constituency are not statistically valid due to insufficient sample sizes. However it is possible to provide figures on a combined yearly basis.
	The number and percentage of pensioners in relative poverty by parliamentary constituency for 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 combined is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			   Relative poverty (before housing costs)  Relative poverty (after housing costs) 
			  Parliamentary constituency  Number( 1)  Percentage  Number( 1)  Percentage  
			 Belfast East 2,400 19 1,900 15 
			 Belfast North 4,000 25 3,400 24 
			 Belfast South 1,700 15 2,000 18 
			 Belfast West 2,100 18 1,500 12 
			 East Antrim 2,800 22 2,400 19 
			 East Londonderry 4,100 29 2,900 20 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 4,500 34 3,100 23 
			 Foyle 1,900 21 1,300 14 
			 Lagan Valley 2,800 16 2,400 14 
			 |Mid Ulster 4,600 46 2,800 38 
			 Newry and Armagh 3,100 21 2,700 19 
			 North Antrim 6,400 31 5,500 27 
			 North Down 3,800 22 3,000 17 
			 South Antrim 3,400 23 2,500 17 
			 South Down 5,400 31 5,100 29 
			 Strangford 4,200 26 3,600 23 
			 Upper Bann 2,900 19 2,100 14 
			 West Tyrone 4,200 36 3,300 28 
			 Total 64,400 25 52,600 21 
			 (1) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.  Source:  Households below average income NI 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 Estimate of unclaimed benefits 
		
	
	 Estimate of unclaimed benefits
	The most recent information on take-up of benefits was reported in the 'Income Related Benefits—Estimates of Take-Up in 2002-04 Northern Ireland'. The report estimated that between 1,200 and 8,400 pensioners were not claiming Housing Benefit for which they may have been entitled, and between 49,800 and 96,400 were not claiming Minimum Income Guarantee/Pension Credit for which they may have been entitled,
	 Benefit Uptake
	The 2005-06 benefit uptake strategy piloted a number of exercises targeting 3,750 pensioners offering them a comprehensive benefit assessment. Of those targeted by the 2005-06 benefit uptake strategy 10 per cent. made successful claims; resulting in £400,000 paid in arrears and an average weekly increase of £30 for each successful customer amounting to additional yearly benefit spend of £575,000.
	The 2006-07 expanded programme is targeting 35,000 clients including older people, people with disabilities and carers. Of the 35,000 clients being targeted 33,000 are older people.

Pensions

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of  (a) the number of people employed in Northern Ireland that have private pension provision and  (b) what percentage of them are women.

David Hanson: Results from the Family Resources Survey 2004-05 show that 355,000 people employed in Northern Ireland have private pension provision of which 42 per cent. are women.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures refer to persons from working age 20 to state pension age who are either full or part-time employed (whether employees or self-employed) and do not include those not working.
	2. Estimates are taken from the Family Resources Survey 2004-05 which is the latest year for which data are available.
	3. Members who are contributing to a private pension scheme include those who are building up rights within a salary related scheme, those who are currently contributing to a scheme or whose employer makes a contribution on their behalf. Private pension refers to an occupational personal or stakeholder pension scheme.
	4. Individuals who contribute to both occupational and personal schemes are counted only once in these estimates.

Planning Policy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many planning applications for building in rural communities in Northern Ireland are affected by Planning Policy Statement 14 introduced by the Department of Environment Planning Services; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: All planning applications for development in the Northern Ireland countryside outside designated limits for cities, towns, villages and other small settlements and received after 16 March 2006 will be affected by the policy provisions of draft PPS 14.
	Of all valid applications received between 16 March and 18 June 2006, it is estimated that draft PPS 14 is a material consideration in approximately 2,500.

Planning Policy

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what land remains available for housing development in Strangford constituency; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: It is estimated that there are 270.8 hectares of land remaining with potential for housing development within the urban areas of Strangford parliamentary constituency. This could provide approximately 5,282 dwelling units.
	However, it should be noted that there is a degree of policy uncertainty in relation to land which is currently the subject of objection through the development plan process; this issue will be publicly debated at the public inquiries convened to hear objections to the relevant draft plans i.e. draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan (BMAP) and the Draft Ards and Down Area Plan.
	The Ards and Down public inquiry has recently been reconvened and has been scheduled to continue to 21 June 2006 to hear strategic objections to the extent of housing land identified within the draft plan proposals. It will reopen in September to hear site specific objections. No date has yet been set for the public inquiry to consider objections to the draft BMAP.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many sealed packages of monies seized by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in the course of operations are currently held by each PSNI District Command Unit finance office; and how many such packages have gone missing in each of the last seven years.

Paul Goggins: The PSNI do not hold this information on a central record. To obtain this information would require a manual trawl of records across all finance offices and as such could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Policing Board

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the attendance record was for  (a) elected and  (b) non-elected members of the Policing Board of Northern Ireland at (i) full Policing Board meetings and (ii) Policing Board committee meetings in each of the last three years.

Paul Goggins: The following tables detail Policing Board members' attendance at Board and Committee meetings and were supplied by the Northern Ireland Policing Board.
	
		
			  Members attendance at policing board meetings 
			  Member  2003  2004  2005  Total (Possible) 
			 Alex Attwood 9 11 11 31 (34) 
			 Denis Bradley (Vice Chairman)(1) 10 11 8 29 (34) 
			 Viscount Brookeborough(1) 8 10 9 27 (34) 
			 Joe Byrne 9 12 11 32 (34) 
			 Fred Cobain 10 10 8 28 (34) 
			 Brian Dougherty(1) 9 9 8 26 (34) 
			 Sam Foster 10 12 11 33 (34) 
			 Barry Gilligan(1) 10 10 11 31 (34) 
			 William Hay 7 10 8 25 (34) 
			 Tom Kelly(1) 6 7 7 20 (34) 
			 Lord Kilclooney 5 6 3 14 (34) 
			 Pauline McCabe(1) 10 13 9 32 (34) 
			 Alan McFarland 10 13 9 32 (34) 
			 Eddie McGrady 6 8 7 21 (34) 
			 Rosaleen Moore(1) 7 10 9 26 (34) 
			 Ian Paisley (Jnr) 8 11 10 29 (34) 
			 Desmond Rea(1) (Chairman) 10 13 11 34 (34) 
			 Suneil Sharma(1) 8 8 7 23 (34) 
			 Sammy Wilson 10 12 10 32 (34) 
			 (1 )Appointed by the Secretary of State in 2001 as Independent Members.  Note: The total number of Board meetings that it would have been possible for each Member to attend is shown in brackets. 
		
	
	
		
			  Members attendance at policing board committee meetings 
			  Member  Attendance details  2003 (1 January to 31 May) (Possible)  2003 (1 June to 31 December) (Possible)  2004 (Possible)  2005 (Possible)  Total (Possible) 
			 Alex Attwood CA 4 (5) — — — 37 (54) 
			  CI — 4 (5) 7 (9) 7 (10)  
			  F&GP — 2 (4) 5 (7) 6 (6)  
			  F&R 1 (2) — — —  
			  P&PR — 0 (3) 1 (3) 0 (0)  
			
			 Denis Bradley(1 )(Vice Chairman) CA 3 (5) — — — 51 (63) 
			  CI — 4 (5) 8 (9) 7 (10)  
			  CP 6 (6) 5 (6) 11 (11) 7 (11)  
			 Viscount Brookeborough(1) A&BV — 3 (3) 3 (5) 2 (2) 49 (82) 
			  CA 4 (5) — — —  
			  CM 1 (2) — — —  
			  CI — 3 (5) 7 (9) 7 (10)  
			  CP 1 (2) 0 (1) 7 (9) —  
			  F&GP — 1 (4) 2 (7) —  
			  HR — — 2 (6) 5 (11)  
			  A&RM — — — 1 (1)  
			
			 Joe Byrne A 1 (1) — — — 38 (47) 
			  A&BV — 3 (3) 3 (5) 2 (2)  
			  CA 3 (5) — — —  
			  CI — 5 (5) 7 (9) 8 (10)  
			  P&PR — 3 (3) 2 (3) 0 (0)  
			  A&RM — — — 1 (1)  
			
			 Fred Cobain A 0 (1) — — — 50 (65) 
			  A&BV — 2 (3) 5 (5) 2 (2)  
			  CP 6 (6) 3 (6) 9 (11) 10 (11)  
			  F&R 0 (2) — — —  
			  F&GP — 3 (4) 6 (7) 3 (6)  
			  A&RM — — — 1 (1)  
			
			 Brian Dougherty(1) A 1 (1) — — — 50 (58) 
			  CA 4 (5) — — —  
			  CI — 4 (5) 8 (9) 8 (10)  
			  CP 4 (4) 4 (5) 2 (2) 10 (11)  
			  P&PR — 2 (3) 3 (3) 0 (0)  
			
			 Sam Foster A 1 (1) — — — 57 (60) 
			  CI — 5 (5) 8 (9) 9 (10)  
			  HR — 6 (7) 11 (11) 11 (11)  
			  P&GP 6 (6) — — —  
			
			 Barry Gilligan(1) A&BV — 3 (3) 4 (5) 2 (2) 71 (84) 
			  CP 4 (4) 3 (6) 9 (9) —  
			  F&GP — 3 (4) 7 (7) 5 (6)  
			  F&R 2 (2) — — —  
			  HR — 7 (7) 8 (11) 9 (11)  
			  P&GP 5 (6) — — —  
			  A&RM — — — 0 (1)  
			
			 William Hay CA 4 (5) — — — 58 (76) 
			  CI — 4 (5) 8 (9) 9 (10)  
			  CM 2 (2) — — —  
			  HR — 4 (7) 9 (11) 7 (11)  
			  HR&PS — 2 (2) 6 (9) 3 (5)  
			
			 Tom Kelly(1) A 1 (1) — — — 12 (33) 
			  CM 2 (2) — — —  
			  CP 0 (6) 2 (6) 3 (11) 0 (1)  
			  P&PR — 2 (3) 2 (3) 0 (0)  
			 Lord Kilclooney A&BV — 0 (3) 0 (5) 0 (2) 3 (33) 
			  CA 2 (5) — — —  
			  F&R 1 (2) — — —  
			  P&PR — 0 (3) 0 (3) 0 (0)  
			  A&RM — — — 0 (1)  
			
			 Pauline McCabe(1) CA 5 (5) — — — 81 (90) 
			  CP 6 (6) 5 (6) 10 (11) 9 (11)  
			  HR — 7 (7) 11 (11) 11 (11)  
			  HR&PS — 2 (2) 5 (9) 4 (5)  
			  P&GP 6 (6) — — —  
			
			 Alan McFarland CM 2 (2) — — — 35 (43) 
			  F&GP — — 3 (4) 4 (6)  
			  HR — 5 (7) 2 (2) —  
			  HR&PS — 2 (2) 8 (9) 3 (5)  
			  P&GP 6 (6) — — —  
			
			 Eddie McGrady CM 2 (2) — — — 52 (87) 
			  CP 2 (6) 2 (6) 8 (11) 6 (11)  
			  HR — 4 (7) 5 (11) 4 (11)  
			  HR&PS — 2 (2) 9 (9) 5 (5)  
			  P&GP 3 (6) — — —  
			
			 Rosaleen Moore(1) CM 2 (2) — — —  
			  CP 2 (2) — 2 (2) 10 (11) 67 (81) 
			  F&GP — 4 (4) 6 (7) 3 (6)  
			  F&R 1 (2) — — —  
			  HR — 5 (7) 9 (11) 10 (11)  
			  HR&PS — 2 (2) 7 (9) 4 (5)  
			
			 Ian Paisley (Jnr) A 0 (1) — — — 29 (52) 
			  CA 4 (5) — — —  
			  CI — 4 (5) 3 (9) 6 (10)  
			  HRPS — 0 (2) 5 (9) 2 (5)  
			  P&PR — 3 (3) 2 (3) 0 (0)  
			
			 Desmond Rea (Chairman)(1) CA 2 (5) — — — 35 (39) 
			  CPC 6 (6) 6 (6) 11 (11) 10 (11)  
			
			 Suneil Sharma(1) CA 3 (5) — — — 41 (67) 
			  CI — 5 (5) 8 (9) 6 (10)  
			  CP — — — 1 (10)  
			  HR&PS — 1 (2) 6 (9) 4 (5)  
			  P&GP 3 (6) — — —  
			  P&PR — 3 (3) 1 (3) 0 (0)  
			
			 Sammy Wilson A&BV — 2 (3) 2 (5) 0 (2) 50 (70) 
			  CP 6 (6) 4 (6) 8 (11) 5 (11)  
			  F&GP — 4 (4) 7 (7) 6 (6)  
			  F&R 2 (2) — — —  
			  P&GP 4 (6) — — —  
			  A&RM — — — 0 (1)  
			 (1 )Appointed by the Secretary of State in 2001 as Independent Members.  Notes: 1. The total number of Committee meetings that it would have been possible for each Member to attend is shown in brackets. 2. This list excludes sub-committees, working groups, ad hoc groups, briefings etc. This list also does not reflect the attendance of members on committees of which they were not formally members—including as deputies for absent colleagues from the same political grouping.  Key: A—Audit Committee A & B V—Audit and Best Value Committee A & RM—Audit and Risk Management CA—Community Affairs Committee CI—Community Involvement Committee CM—Complaints Monitoring Committee CP—Corporate Policy Committee F & G P—Finance and General Purposes Committee F & R—Finance and Resources Committee H R—Human Resources Committee H R & P S—Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee P & PR—Press and Public Relations Committee

Prisons

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) male and  (b) female prison populations are in Northern Ireland; and what those figures represent as a percentage of total prison capacity.

Paul Goggins: At 13 June there were 1,409 male and 34 female prisoners in Northern Ireland. These figures represent 107 per cent. and 55 per cent. respectively of the accommodation currently available for each category.

Real IRA

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the terrorist capability of the Real IRA.

Paul Goggins: The latest IMC report confirmed that the Real IRA continues efforts to recruit and train members and has a continuing aspiration to arm and equip itself. The organisation remains "violent, dangerous and ruthless".

Recruitment Policy

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland bases its recommendations to employers on whether to include in recruitment advertising the reference that specific groups of people would be particularly welcome to apply on  (a) the overall composition of the work force and  (b) recent recruitment to the firm concerned.

David Hanson: The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland refers to the relevant Codes of Practice and Guidance available from the Commission when considering making recommendations to employers on whether to include in recruitment advertising the reference that specific groups of people would be particularly welcome to apply. A recommendation that employers consider the use of such equality statements, is based on an evaluation of work force trends. Such an evaluation would include the work force composition and recruitment flows. Both  (a) and  (b) would therefore be taken into account.

Road Traffic Accidents

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 11 May 2006,  Official Report, column 540W, on road traffic accidents, how many road traffic accidents there were in the years covered for which a police officer was responsible; how much has been paid out in compensation to members of the public for such accidents; what the total cost of repairs to police vehicles was in relation to such accidents; how many officers have been disciplined for such incidents; and what sanctions were imposed.

Paul Goggins: My response to the hon. Gentleman of 11 May 2006 referred to road traffic collisions for which a police officer was responsible while on duty and covered the calendar years 2003-05. The following table is also based on these parameters and shows how many road traffic collisions there were during 2003-05 for which an on-duty police officer was responsible. None of these collisions resulted in disciplinary action being taken against the police officer involved. The total cost of repairs to police vehicles during the period 2003-05 was £257,634.92.
	
		
			  Calendar year  Number of collisions 
			 2003 82 
			 2004 (1)141 
			 2005 (1)161 
			 Total 384 
			 (1) The definitions used for police collisions were revised in 2004 and a third category of collision was added—'Slight Contact'. This has resulted in some incidents being recorded which previously may not have been which accounts for the increase in the number of incidents for 2004 and 2005. 
		
	
	The Police Service of Northern Ireland do not collate or hold figures relating to the amount of compensation paid to members of the public in respect of these collisions.

Roads

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1096W, on roads, when the report of the preliminary studies of environmental, land form and traffic modelling in relation to the Londonderry to Dungiven dualling is expected to be published.

David Cairns: The acting chief executive of Roads Service (Mr. Geoff Allister) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Geoff Allister, dated 26 June 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question, "pursuant to the Answer of Tuesday 13th June 2006, Official Report, column 1096W, on roads, when the report of the preliminary studies of environmental, land form and traffic modelling in relation to the Londonderry to Dungiven dualling is expected to be published".
	I have been asked to reply as these issues fall within my responsibility as Acting Chief Executive of Roads Service.
	In Dr McKibbin's reply to your earlier question, he advised that the current study is well advanced and will report later this summer. He further advised that it is not normal practice to make announcements at this stage in a scheme development and that the results would be made public through a public exhibition and consultation that will be undertaken as the next step in the more detailed development of the Londonderry to Dungiven scheme. It is not anticipated that the next stage of the scheme development would be sufficiently progressed to support the exhibition until the first couple of months in 2007.

Roads

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were employed in each Divisional Roads Service Office in Northern Ireland in April  (a) 2000 and  (b) 2006.

David Cairns: The acting chief executive of Roads Service (Mr. Geoff Allister) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question.
	 Letter from Geoff Allister, dated 16 June 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding how many people were employed in each Divisional Roads Service Office in Northern Ireland in April (a) 2000 and (b) 2006.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	The tables attached at Annex 1 detail the number of industrial and non-industrial Roads Service staff employed in each Divisional Roads Service office on 1 April 2000 and 1 April 2006.
	I hope you find this information helpful.
	
		
			  Non-industrial staff: Annex 
			   Staff in post 
			  Divisional Roads Service Office  1 April 2000  1 April 2006 
			 Crescent Road, Londonderry BT47 2NQ 27 40 
			 Newcastle Road, Seaforde BT30 8PR 12 23 
			 Ballynahonemore Road, Armagh BT60 1JD 19 29 
			 Newmills Road, Coleraine BT52 2JB 0 3 
			 Larne Road Link, Ballymena BT42 3HA 18 34 
			 Airport Road, Belfast BT3 9DY 33 59 
			 Balloo Road, Bangor BT19 7PG 10 15 
			 Aghanloo Depot, Dowland Road, Limavady BT49 OHR 1 2 
			 Arvalee Depot, Deverney Road, Omagh BT79 OJJ 25 39 
			 Benson House, Benson Street, Lisburn BT28 2BG 16 31 
			 Carn Industrial Estate, Portadown BT63 5RH 17 25 
			 Castle Barracks, Wellington Place, Enniskillen BT74 7HN 34 44 
			 Caulside, New Lodge Road, Antrim BT41 2GW 10 11 
			 Clarence Court, Adelaide Street, Belfast BT2 8GB 147 219 
			 Aughnacloy Road, Banbridge BT32 3RU 1 2 
			 County Hall, Galgorm Road, Ballymena BT42 1QG 135 131 
			 County Hall, Castlerock Road, Coleraine BT51 3HS 99 123 
			 County Hall, Drumragh Avenue, Omagh BT79 7AF 94 80 
			 Castle Street, Antrim BT41 4JE 8 12 
			 Elm View, Derry Road, Strabane BT82 8DT 11 19 
			 Ferry Terminal, Strangford, BT30 7NE 1 2 
			 Cecil Street, Newry BT35 6AU 14 26 
			 Tullybroom Road, Clogher BT76 OUW 2 2 
			 Molesworth Street, Cookstown BT80 8PA 8 15 
			 Newry Street, Banbridge BT32 3EA 6 13 
			 Jubilee Road, Newtownards BT23 4XP 8 13 
			 Main Street, Limavady BT49 0ET 7 9 
			 Hydebank, Hospital Road, Belfast BT8 8JL 167 214 
			 Marlborough House, Central Way, Craigavon BT64 1AD 100 119 
			 Moygashel, Dungannon BT71 7QR 15 22 
			 New Mills House, New Mills Road Lower, Coleraine BT52 2JR 5 6 
			 Rathkeltair House, Market Street, Downpatrick BT30 6UU 103 121 
			 Rathmore Depot, Loughanmore Road, Antrim BT41 2QP 1 2 
			 Sandyknowes, Glengormley, Newtownabbey BT36 8RF 2 3 
			 Station Road, Magherafelt BT45 5DN 8 15 
			 Corporation Street, Belfast BT1 3DH 27 53 
			 Silverhill Plant Depot, Shore Road, Enniskillen BT47 7EF 6 9 
			 Sprucefield Depot, Sprucefield Roundabout, Lisburn BT27 5QY 1 3 
			 The McAleer Building, 31 Market Street, Omagh BT78 1EE 0 36 
			 Trillick House, Queen Street, Ballymoney BT53 6JD 0 14 
			 Market Street, Ballymoney BT53 6EE 1 0 
			 High Street, Ballymoney BT53 6AG 7 0 
			 Total 1,206 1,638 
			  Note: It should be noted that some of the people employed in respect of Road Service Offices are attributable to general accommodation moves. 
		
	
	
		
			  Industrial Staff 
			   Staff in post 
			  Divisional Roads Service Office  1 April 2000  1 April 2006 
			 Cecil Street, Newry BT35 6AU 51 30 
			 Crescent Road, Londonderry BT47 2NQ 38 33 
			 Main Street, Moygashel, Dungannon BT71 7QR 47 34 
			 Loughnamore Road, Antrim BT41 4AE 0 24 
			 Ballynahonemore Road, Armagh, Co Armagh BT60 1JD 64 37 
			 Airport Road, Belfast BT3 9DY 54 35 
			 Market Street, Ballymoney BT53 6EE 0 14 
			 Belfast Road, Larne BT40 2PJ 0 14 
			 Aghanloo Depot, Dowland Road, Limavady BT49 OHR 26 19 
			 Arvalee Depot, Deverney Road, Omagh BT79 OJJ 56 47 
			 Ballykeel Depot, Larne Road, Ballymena BT42 3HA 33 16 
			 Carn Industrial Estate, Craigavon BT63 5RH 43 34 
			 Castle Barracks, Wellington Place, Enniskillen BT74 7HN 6 2 
			 Aughnacloy Road, Banbridge BT32 3RU 16 19 
			 County Hall, Drumragh Avenue, Omagh BT79 7AF 0 2 
			 County_Hall, Galgorm Road, Ballymena BT42 1QG 18 18 
			 County Hall, Castlerock Road, Coleraine BT51 3HS 18 11 
			 Station Road, Magherafelt BT45 5DN 19 14 
			 Elm View, Derry Road, Strabane BT82 8DT 33 28 
			 Ferry Terminal, Strangford, BT30 7NE 17 18 
			 Newcastle Road, Seaforde BT30 8PR 41 23 
			 Molesworth Street, Cookstown BT80 9PA 11 9 
			 Marlborough House, Central Way, Craigavon BT64 1AD 11 11 
			 Station Road, Ballycastle BT54 6AP 17 9 
			 Balloo Road, Bangor BT19 2PG 39 28 
			 Newmills Road, Coleraine BT52 2JB 31 23 
			 Rathkeltair House, Market Street, Downpatrick BT30 6UU 5 4 
			 Sandyknowes, Antrim Road, Newtownabbey, BT36 8RF 12 26 
			 Corporation Street, Belfast BT1 3DH 43 13 
			 Shore Road, Enniskillen BT47 7EF 59 48 
			 Sprucefield Depot, Sprucefield Roundabout, Lisburn BT27 5QY 34 34 
			 Victoria Street, Carrickfergus, BT38 8AQ 0 13 
			 Ferrard, Railway Street, Antrim BT41 4AE 25 0 
			 Dervock Road, Ballymoney BT53 18 0 
			 Govenors Place, Carrickfergus BT38 7BN 12 0 
			 Exchange Road, Larne BT40 1RD 18 0 
			 Jublie Road, Newtownards BT23 4XP 8 0 
			 Hydebank, Hospital Road, Belfast BT8 8JL 9 0 
			 Total 932 690 
			  Notes: 1. It should be noted that in some instances, the difference in the number of staff in various locations is attributable to general accommodation moves. 2. The reduction in number of industrial staff at a number of offices reflects a major exercise to re-grade certain industrial grades.

School Violence

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many court cases have been pursued by teachers on the grounds of assaults by pupils in each of the last three years, broken down by education and library board area; and how much compensation was paid in total in each year.

Maria Eagle: I have been advised that the information requested is as follows:
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			   Number of cases  Compensation paid (£)  Number of cases  Compensation paid (£)  Number of cases  Compensation paid (£) 
			 BELB 0 — 0 — 0 — 
			 NEELB 0 — 2 — 0 — 
			 SEELB 1 (1)3,000 0 — 0 (2)5,000 
			 SELB 0 — 0 — 0 — 
			 WELB 0 — 0 — 0 — 
			 Total 1 3,000 2 — 0 5,000 
			 (1 )Compensation paid in respect of a case brought in 2002-03. (2 )Compensation paid in respect of a case brought in 2003-04.  Note:  The table excludes voluntary grammar schools.

School Violence

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many suspensions for physical attacks on staff there were in each of the last three years for which figures are available in each education board in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: From the 2002-03 school year, statistics on the reasons for suspension have been gathered annually from each education and library board and relate to the number of individual suspensions not to the number of pupils suspended.
	The following table details the number of suspensions(1 )for physical attacks on staff, in each education and library board, in the 2002-03 to 2004-05 school years:
	
		
			  Physical attacks on staff 
			  Education and library board  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Belfast 75 73 84 
			 Western 99 72 51 
			 North Eastern 91 49 57 
			 South Eastern 64 79 21 
			 Southern 36 47 49 
			 NI total 365 320 262 
			 (1) The count of occasions is based on each incidence of suspension, where an incident is defined as a count from the first day a pupil was suspended until the last day suspended. In previous years, the count of occasions was based on each record of suspension identified by the education and library boards, where in some instances, longer periods of suspension may have had more than one record. This change is due to an improvement in the data collection systems for suspensions in the education and library boards which has enabled better analysis of the data. As a result, the number of occasions pupils were suspended in 2004-05 has decreased from previous years'. However, care should be taken when comparing the number of occasions in 2004-05 with the number of occasions in previous years'.

Sean Kelly

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he received new security information directly relating to Sean Kelly subsequent to his re-arrest prior to his order to re-release Kelly.

Paul Goggins: The Secretary of State's decision to grant Sean Kelly temporary release from prison on 27 July 2005 was based on the material from which he based his original decision and because he believed that the IRA statement the next day, would create a new situation in which the context of Kelly's license suspension decision had changed and no longer supported the conclusion that Kelly would be a danger to others if at liberty.

Sentences (Remissions)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will review the appropriateness of the policy of 50 per cent. remission of sentences in Northern Ireland, with particular reference to those convicted of serious  (a) violent and  (b) sexual attacks.

David Hanson: Last year the Northern Ireland Office undertook a public consultation on the Review of the Sentencing Framework in Northern Ireland. Consultees were asked to consider a range of sentencing disposals, including indeterminate and extended public protection sentences. I will shortly be examining policy options considered in the Review and the responses to the consultation.

Special Needs Children

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children in Northern Ireland with special needs are awaiting a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs sets out a 5-stage approach to the process. At Stage 4 the Education and Library Board considers the need for a statutory assessment, following a request from the parents, the school or other agencies. If the Board considers that such an assessment is necessary, the parents will be notified and the assessment will be undertaken and if a statement of Special Educational Needs is considered appropriate, the Board has 18 weeks, subject to certain exceptions, to issue a draft statement.
	The following table shows the total number of children at Stage 4 of the Code of Practice, i.e. the number of children whose formal assessment of Special Educational Needs has been completed and for whom it is proposed to issue a statement of special educational needs, but the statement has not yet been issued.
	
		
			  Education and Library Board  Number of children at stage 4 
			 Belfast 33 
			 North Eastern 15 
			 South Eastern 81 
			 Southern 134 
			 Western 30

Special Needs Children

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children in Northern Ireland require places for September in Special Needs Schools; and how many places are available.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows the total number of children who at present require a place in a Special School in September 2006 in Northern Ireland (by Education and Library Board area) and the total number of places available in Special Schools.
	The apparent number of vacant places is based on maximum school enrolment figures set some years ago, and is not a meaningful reflection of the current capacity of Special Schools. In recent years the complexity of the needs of children in Special Schools has increased and the ratio of teachers to pupils has decreased accordingly in order to meet this need.
	
		
			  Education and Library Board  Number of children requiring place in Special School (September 2006)  Number of Special School places available 
			 Belfast(1) 166 265 
			 North Eastern 75 159 
			 South Eastern 80 138 
			 Southern(2) 26 26 
			 Western 70 118 
			 (1) The Belfast Education and Library Board have more children placed in Special Schools than other Boards. In addition they have significant proportions of children transferring between Special Schools at Year 4 and attending Special Schools for Year 1 placements. (2) The Southern Education and Library Board, unlike the other Boards, do not have Moderate Learning Difficulty (MLD) Special Schools and therefore the figures relate only to pupils requiring a place in a school for children with severe learning difficulties.

Staff Surveys

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost was of staff surveys conducted by each department in Northern Ireland, including the Northern Ireland Office, in each of the last three years.

David Hanson: The following table provides a breakdown of the costs involved in undertaking staff surveys in each of the 11 NICS core departments and the Northern Ireland Office for the financial years from 2003-04 to 2005-06.
	
		
			  Costs by financial year 
			  £ 
			  Department  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 DARD (1)41,492.00 6,486.00 10,078.00 
			 DCAL (2)— (3)— 129.30 
			 DE 11,005.00 2,749.00 16,196.00 
			 DEL (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 DFP 600.00 1,051.75 8,376.06 
			 DHSSPS(4) 11,752.00 5,552.00 73,299.78 
			 DSD (3)— 13,250.00 3,248.00 
			 OFMDFM (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 DETI (2)— 490.00 575.00 
			 NIO (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 DRD 225.00 480.00 3,304.00 
			 DOE (3)— (3)— (3)— 
			 (1 )Includes 29,478 internal and external costs for European Foundation Quality Management assessment for the Veterinary Service. (2 )Not available. (3 )No surveys undertaken. (4 )The DHSSPS figure for 2005-06 includes a cost of £60,503.78 for a Workplace Health and Well-being survey that was issued across the NICS. The survey was commissioned by the NICS Workplace Health Committee and the cost of the survey should be attributed to all departments and not solely DHSSPS.

Teacher Training

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps teacher training colleges in Northern Ireland have taken to develop sharing in teacher education as set out in the Policy and Strategic Framework for Good Relations: A Shared Future.

Maria Eagle: Since 2005, the Northern Ireland University Colleges have jointly delivered, an "Inter-College Programme for Diversity and Mutual Understanding", as an essential aspect of study for all student teachers. The programme is designed and organised by the college's joint liaison group comprised of members of academic staff and students who work alongside the Nation Union of Students—Union of Students of Ireland (NUS-USI) to deal with issued such as racism, sectarianism and development of positive community relations.

Trout Fisheries

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether there have been any recent reported breakouts of bacterial kidney disease in trout fisheries in the Province; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: There has never been a reported outbreak of bacterial kidney disease in trout fisheries in Northern Ireland.

Valuation and Lands Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cameras the Valuation and Lands Agency in Northern Ireland owns; and how many it has purchased in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: At 21 June 2006 the Agency owns 207 cameras.
	The numbers of cameras purchased over the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			  April to March each year:  Number 
			 2001-02 33 
			 2002-03 35 
			 2003-04 16 
			 2004-05 56 
			 2005-06 58 
		
	
	The Valuation and Lands Agency photographs properties, with the consent of the owner, during inspections for rating purposes, compensation and assets valuation.
	The Agency has more than 200 staff engaged in field inspections for these purposes.

Valuation and Lands Agency

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Valuation and Lands Agency in Northern Ireland has purchased  (a) software and  (b) consultancy services from CDC Ltd. in the last five years.

David Hanson: Within the last five years:
	 (a) The Valuation and Lands Agency purchased "Spatialest" Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA) software from CDC.
	 (b) The Valuation and Lands Agency also purchased consultancy services from CDC to facilitate the setup and use of this software.

Vehicle Tests

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time for a vehicle test was  (a) in each test centre and  (b) in Northern Ireland in the last period for which figures are available.

David Cairns: The average waiting time for a vehicle test at each test centre and the Northern Ireland average for the week ending 17 June 2006 is set out in the table.
	
		
			  Centre  Average waiting time (days) 
			 Armagh 58 
			 Ballymena 33 
			 Balmoral 30 
			 Coleraine 20 
			 Cookstown 39 
			 Craigavon 44 
			 Downpatrick 50 
			 Enniskillen 43 
			 Larne 25 
			 Lisburn 33 
			 Mallusk 28 
			 New Buildings 28 
			 Newry 57 
			 Newtownards 34 
			 Omagh 33 
			 Northern Ireland 38

Waste Recycling

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of waste from Government Departments in Northern Ireland was recycled in the last period for which figures are available.

David Cairns: Data have not been collected in this form. However, waste management action plans have now been prepared for all 11 NICS Departments in accordance with a requirement of the recently published "Waste Management Strategy for Northern Ireland". Copies of these documents may be found in the Library.
	The first round of monitoring of Departments' performance against their plans will take place at the end of the first year.

Wind Turbines (Acute Hospitals)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the annual total effect on costs if each of Northern Ireland's acute hospitals were to construct a wind turbine in their grounds similar to that operated by Antrim Hospital.

Paul Goggins: If wind turbines were to be successfully installed at the nine acute hospital sites identified in "Developing Better Services" the estimated total net reduction in payments to the electricity supply company would be £495,000 at current price levels.

HEALTH

Adverse Drug Reactions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to reduce the number of people admitted to hospital with adverse drug reactions.

Andy Burnham: The most recent estimate of the burden of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the United Kingdom (UK) comes from a study published in the  British Medical Journal in July 2004. The study conducted in two large hospitals in Merseyside, suggested that ADRs account for one in 16 hospital admissions. This is a similar estimate to a number of studies worldwide, including figures from the United States of America.
	This study highlights the importance of effective systems for monitoring and responding to issues relating to the safety of medicines, a process called pharmacovigilance. This study, which was funded by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), underlines their commitment to improving the evidence base for pharmacovigilance in the UK.
	As part of this commitment, the MHRA is working to strengthen the yellow card scheme for reporting suspected ADRs and has widened access to the scheme to enable patients to report ADRs directly.
	This study also highlights the vital importance of safety information which meets the needs of prescribers and patients. The MHRA committee on safety of medicines publication "Always read the leaflet" proposed actions to improve risk communication, including development of a leaflet for patients published by the MHRA. The commission on human medicines has established a working group to examine ways to improve the provision of safety information accompanying medicines.
	Changes to medicines legislation introduced in 2005 were also designed to enhance the capability of regulation to reduce the burden of adverse drug reaction, for example in the requirement on marketing authorisation holders to develop risk management plans for newly licensed medicines.

Alcohol Treatment Services

Lynda Waltho: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to increase  (a) access to and  (b) capacity of specialist alcohol treatment services; and what plans she has (i) to respond to and (ii) to implement recommendations arising out of the departmental alcohol needs assessment research project.

Caroline Flint: Commissioning of specialist alcohol treatment services is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs). The Department has issued to PCTs 'Alcohol Misuse Interventions: Guidance on Developing a Local Programme of Improvement'. It provides practical steps on improving interventions and services for problem drinkers based on local need. It will be supported by the soon to be published 'Models of Care for Alcohol Misuse' (MoCAM), which will provide commissioners with a framework against which to commission effective, quality services. MoCAM is informed by an extensive effectiveness review, which will be published as a companion document.

Alternative Medicine

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the use of alternative medicine in the NHS.

Caroline Flint: There are no centrally held records on the general use of complementary and alternative medicines within the national health service. The Government considers that decision making on individual clinical interventions, using either complementary or alternative medicines or more orthodox medicines, is a matter for local NHS service providers and practitioners. However, when making any clinical decisions, clinicians are expected to consider the safety and effectiveness of treatments whether complementary, alternative or orthodox medicines.

Audiology

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to reform the public-private partnership for the provision of digital hearing aids; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The existing national framework agreement for the provision of adult hearing services to the national health service is operational until September 2006. Since October 2003, there have been over 52,000 patient journeys provided to the NHS through this agreement. A separate procurement is currently being undertaken by the commercial directorate of the Department to support improvements to diagnostic capacity in the NHS. This procurement includes the potential for approximately 42,000 patient journeys per annum to be provided to the NHS for adult hearing services.
	The guidance recently published by the Department around implementing the 18-week patient pathway, whilst not including direct access adult hearing services, made reference to the development of a national action plan. The Department is considering a number of options to improve services and to provide sustainable solutions.

Audiology

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting time is for the fitting of digital hearing aids in the Greater Peterborough Primary Care Partnership area; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The information requested in not collected centrally.

Bowel Cancer

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost is of the research being conducted by York Health Economics Consortium and the School of Health and Related Research at Sheffield University into the costs and benefits of current services for bowel cancer.

Andy Burnham: The cost of the research project to which the hon. Member refers is £192,150.

Cancer Drugs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information cancer networks have been asked to submit to her Department as part of the follow-up to the report by the National Cancer Director on variations in the usage of cancer drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and when she expects to publish the results of the follow-up.

Rosie Winterton: As in the first review, each cancer network was provided with centrally held information on its usage of the 16 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraised cancer drugs and four cancer drugs which have not been appraised by NICE. The information covered the period from January to June 2005.
	Each network was asked whether they considered the information to be a reasonable estimate of usage. Where networks provided revised figures, these have been used in the report.
	The follow-up report is expected to be published shortly.

Cancer Nurses

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of specialist cancer nurses working in the NHS in each of the last five years; and what steps she is taking to increase this number.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.
	Cancer nurses were not separately identified in the census from the rest of the nursing work force.
	Work force planning is the responsibility of local national health service employers and strategic health authorities, who must ensure that they have sufficient staff, with the right skills to meet local service needs.

Capital Investment

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to encourage capital investment by NHS organisations.

Andy Burnham: The Department's capital investment plans are set out in chapter four of the Departmental Report 2006 published in May of this year. This states that the public capital resources available to the national health service will increase by a further £950 million in 2006-07, a real terms increase of 21 per cent., and outlines the priorities for this funding during 2006-07. As in previous years, there will also be further investment through the private finance initiative and NHS local improvement finance trust, the public-private partnership vehicle for transforming primary care premises.

Child Sexual Abuse

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what services for children who have been sexually abused are funded by her Department; and what mechanisms are in place to provide liaison between services funded by her Department and those provided by other funding streams.

Ivan Lewis: Specialist services including treatment for sexually transmitted infections, termination of pregnancy and mental health services are available for those children who need them as a result of sexual abuse. For children with less severe mental health problems, it is more appropriate for universal services to provide the psychological support they need than for them to be referred to specialist child and adolescent mental health services.
	It is important that child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are developed in a way that is responsive to the needs of the populations they serve. The CAMHS standard of the children's national service framework (NSF) sets out the requirement for an assessment of the needs of particular groups of children in the locality who are vulnerable or at risk. The NSF also states the commissioners and services should be able to demonstrate multi-agency partnership working in the following areas: the provision of services to children and young people who may or may not have been harmed, as set out in "Working Together to Safeguard Children"; contributing to the assessment of complex child abuse cases; the assessment and provision of post-abuse therapeutic services; and services for looked-after and adopted children.
	The Department has been working closely with the Home Office to develop sexual assault referral centres (SARCs). A SARC is a one-stop location where victims of rape and sexual assault can receive medical care and counselling, and have the opportunity to report to the police and undergo a forensic examination. The joint Department of Health and Home Office National Service Guidelines for Developing Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) was published in October 2005.
	Since 2003, £1.27 million from the Home Office's Victims Fund has been spent on new and existing SARCs. The Department has an important role in allocating these resources as departmental officials are on the committee that make grant assessments. SARCs currently operate in 14 locations in England and Wales and there are six more due to open in the forthcoming year.
	The Department and the Home Office are supporting the development of appropriate services for children within existing or new SARCs. St. Mary's SARC in Manchester has established a service for children. In London, Project Amethyst was piloted in 2005-06 jointly by local police and health to provide services for children in association with the three London SARCs (the Havens in Camberwell, Whitechapel and Paddington). A number of the new SARCs scheduled to open will be providing services for children.

Children's Hospices

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to meet the Association of Children's Hospices to commence formal discussions on a sustainable long-term funding arrangement for delivery of palliative care to children and respite to their families; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Departmental officials have already held a preliminary meeting with the Association of Children's Hospices and will have further discussions with them and other stakeholders about the forthcoming review of children's hospice services and their long-term funding.

Chiropody/Podiatry Treatment

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was in Colchester primary care trust (PCT) for chiropody/podiatry treatment in the past 12 months; what the average waiting time for such treatment was in other primary care trusts of equivalent size, demographic character and spending patterns; whether all the funding allocated by Colchester PCT for employing clinical staff in chiropody/podiatry in that period was used; whether there are fewer clinical staff applying for jobs in chiropody/podiatry than vacant posts in that area; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: This information is not held centrally by the Department. Primary care trusts are responsible for assessing the needs of their local community. They have the resources to commission services, and to identify the number of professional and non-professional staff they need to deliver those services. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community, including the provision of chiropody and podiatry services.

Colchester General Hospital

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether there is a requirement for the costs incurred by the private sector partner in preparing the abandoned private finance initiative expansion at Colchester General Hospital to be repaid to the partner; what estimate she has made of the costs; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the costs incurred by  (a) Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust and  (b) the national health service centrally in preparing the abandoned private finance initiative expansion at Colchester General Hospital; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The Government's policy is that whenever a procuring authority such as Essex Rivers Healthcare Trust abandons a viable, affordable project, reasonable compensation should be paid for costs incurred by bidders.
	To date, no discussions have been held with either the trust or their private sector partner to determine if the Government's policy applies to the circumstances under which this project was abandoned nor of the likely costs.

Community Hospitals

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much of the £100 million capital investment to build, rebuild or refurbish at least 50 community hospitals identified by her Department has been earmarked for new projects; how much has been spent; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many new community hospitals have been built in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Configuration of local service provision facilities, including the building of new community hospitals, is a matter for primary care trusts (PCTs). Therefore, the Department has not historically monitored the number of new community hospitals that have been built and it is not possible to provide the data requested in relation to this.
	As confirmed in the White Paper "Our health, our care, our say: a new direction for community services", the Government fully intends to fulfil its manifesto commitment to develop a new generation of modern national health service community hospitals over the next five years.
	The Department will shortly be publishing further guidance, which will outline the next steps that PCTs and strategic health authorities need to take to access central capital to invest in community hospitals and services. Capital will be available but has not currently been earmarked for specific projects.

Community Hospitals

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department plans to assess the effect on the number of community hospitals of primary care trust deficits; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: There are no plans to assess the effects of primary care trust (PCT) deficits on the provision of services in community hospitals. Commissioning decisions are of course for local determination. However, the White Paper "Our health, our care, our say" makes it clear that community facilities, including community hospitals, should not be lost in response to short-term budgetary pressures in PCTs that are not related to the viability of the community facility itself. Therefore, no community hospitals should be closed solely as a result of national health service PCT budget deficits.
	A letter was sent to strategic health authorities (SHAs) on 16 February, which concerned the commitment relating to community hospitals, made in paragraphs 6.42 and 6.43 of the aforementioned White Paper. This letter provided instruction on how SHAs should go about ensuring and testing that PCTs comply with the commitment made. A copy of this letter is available in the Library.

Continuing NHS Health Care

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what arrangements health authorities are required to put in place for the provision of independent advice for NHS patients' consideration of signing up for continuing care;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the likely number of re-assessments of entitlement to free continuing care.

Ivan Lewis: Following a rigorous procurement exercise, the Department has recently awarded contracts to three organisations who will deliver a new and improved independent complaints advocacy service (ICAS) from 1 April 2006 across England. The ICAS provides an advocacy for all national health service services, including NHS continuing care. The Carers Federation, South East Advocacy Projects and POhWER have been delivering ICAS under contract to the Department since 1 September 2003, bringing a wealth of experience and expertise in general and specialist advocacy service delivery.
	The consultation on an improved national framework for continuing care was launched on 19 June 2006. We cannot anticipate what the new framework will be until the consultation is completed, and we have considered all responses.

Correspondence

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what priority is given to answering letters from hon. Members by the chief executive of NHS Direct;
	(2)  what the average time taken by the chief executive of NHS Direct to respond to correspondence was in the last period for which figures are available;
	(3)  how many letters the chief executive of NHS Direct has received from hon. Members on the issue of the proposed closure of NHS Direct centres.

Rosie Winterton: The Chief Executive of NHS Direct endeavours to answer all correspondence promptly, whilst ensuring that information is accurate before the response is sent. All correspondence from hon. Members is treated as a high priority.
	Figures for the average response time are not collected, but correspondence requiring a letter in response is generally dealt with in approximately seven working days. In more complex cases, responses may take longer than this.
	There has been an increase in correspondence since the beginning of the consultation period and, as a result, it has taken longer than usual to respond. In addition, the chief executive has been out of the office more than usual, visiting sites and meeting staff potentially affected by the consultation proposals.
	A number of contacts from hon. Members have been received in relation to the consultation, addressed to various senior managers. The chief executive has received six letters or emails directly relating to the consultation. In addition, there have been two letters addressed to the Chair and one further to a senior manager.

Correspondence

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Reigate of 11 May 2006 on her decision to overrule the recommendations of the 'Better Health Care Closer to Home' report; and whether her reply will take into account the decision to allow a judicial review of her decision.

Ivan Lewis: A reply to this letter was sent on 22 June 2006. The Department has received details and is currently considering the situation.

Criminal Offences

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by her Department since April 2005, broken down by Act.

Ivan Lewis: No criminal offences have been created in primary legislation sponsored by the Department since April 2005.

Dentistry

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's position is on the recommendation of the European medical devices expert group that dental patients be given a copy of the Statement of Conformity; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Clwyd, West (Mr. Jones) on 20 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1799W.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what opportunities exist for people to work beyond retirement age in her Department.

Ivan Lewis: The Department's normal retirement age for all employees is 60. However, employees below the senior civil service level are entitled to work to age 65 if they wish. Any request to work beyond age 65 would be considered on a case-by-case basis. Members of the senior civil service may be retained beyond age 60 if it is considered to be in the public interest and the Department is satisfied about the fitness and efficiency of the individual to carry out his or her duties.

Drug Tariffs

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what process her Department used to determine the proposed 15 per cent. price decrease for chemical reagents in the Drug Tariff Part IX consultation; and what steps she is taking to ensure transparency in the consultation.

Andy Burnham: The Department has undertaken an analysis of the reimbursement prices on the drug tariff for chemical reagents and as a result, has concluded that the national health service and the taxpayer may not be obtaining value-for-money at the current reimbursement levels. Further details are available in the consultation document 'Arrangements for the provision of dressings and chemical reagents to primary care: A consultation' which is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/Consultations/Closed Consultations/fs/en. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	Where specific information has been required from manufacturers as part of the consultation, the Department has provided clear guidelines as to what was required. The Department has held meetings with manufacturers and their representative trade body, with NHS representatives and with patient groups. In addition, a meeting was hosted to brief hon. Members on 21 June 2006.

Flag Flying

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on how many days since May 1997 the St. George's flag has been flown from her Department's buildings;
	(2)  what her Department's policy is on flying the  (a) St. George's flag and  (b) EU flag from departmental buildings;
	(3)  if she will ensure that the Union Flag is flown from her Department's buildings on every day the offices are open.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issues guidance for flying flags on Government buildings of which the Department adheres to. This includes flying the St. George's flag and the European flag on buildings with two or more flagpoles. These rules area approved by the Queen on advice from that department.
	The Department has only one flagpole and therefore does not fly the St. George's flag or the European flag. There are no plans at present to change the number of days flags can be flown from Government buildings.

Foreign Travel

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on foreign travel by her Department in each of the last eight years.

Ivan Lewis: This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

General Practitioners

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs there were in Coventry, South constituency  (a) in 1997 and  (b) on the latest date for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of general practitioners (GPs) within the area covered by the current West Midlands South strategic health authority in each year since 1997, and within Coventry teaching primary care trust (PCT) each year since 2001, the earliest date for which figures are available.
	
		
			  All general medical practitioners, excluding retainers and registrars( 1) , for specified organisations, 1997 to 2005 
			   West Midlands, South  Of which:  Coventry PCT 
			 1997 859 n/a 
			 1998 867 n/a 
			 1999 873 n/a 
			 2000 870 n/a 
			 2001 884 174 
			 2002 897 173 
			 2003 928 172 
			 2004 959 184 
			 2005 1,013 187 
			 n/a = Data not applicable (1) General medical practitioners, excluding retainers and registrars, includes contracted GPs, general medical service (GMS) others and personal medical service (PMS) others. Prior to September 2004 this group included GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.  Note: Data as at 1 October 1997- 2000 and 30 September 2001-2005  Source:  The Information Centre for health and social care General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Health Treatment Centres

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of her Department's budget was spent on the establishment of independent sector treatment centres in each year since 1997; what proportion of the budget for the establishment of such centres was spent on the employment of management consultants in each year; and what proportion of each budget she expects to be spent in each category in 2006-07.

Ivan Lewis: The independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme was launched in December 2002 and figures for the establishment of ISTCs are not available prior to 2003. The percentage of the Department's budget that was spent on the procurement of ISTCs was 0.03 per cent. in 2003-04; 0.05 per cent. in 2004-05; 0.04 per cent. in 2005-06 and it is estimated to be 0.05 per cent. for 2006-07. Much of the work of this programme is done through consulting staff so the proportion of these costs estimated to have been spent on management consultants is 84.6 per cent., 67.4 per cent., 59.3 and 60 per cent., respectively.

Illegal Immigrants

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many illegal immigrants have been discovered to be employed by her Department in each year since 2001; in what capacities they were employed; how many were discovered as part of a criminal investigation; and what the nature of the charges brought against them were.

Ivan Lewis: No illegal immigrants have been discovered to be employed by the Department in the period for which information is requested.

Independent Sector Treatment Centres

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria she uses to determine the allocation of resources to independent sector treatment; and what account she takes of the distance between facilities, whether NHS or not, providing similar services.

Ivan Lewis: It is for local national health service commissioners to determine the volume of healthcare they purchase from the independent sector (IS) in line with local priorities.
	The Department conducted national capacity planning exercises through strategic health authorities (SHAs) in 2002 and 2004. Through these exercises SHAs estimated the additional capacity in elective treatment and diagnostics required to meet key public service agreement waiting times targets, and identified how much of this capacity would need to be sourced from IS providers.
	The outcomes of capacity planning provided the basis for taking forward national procurements of elective and diagnostics capacity from the IS. The procurement process is designed to allow the independent sector to work in partnership with local healthcare economies to provide solutions which meet local requirements and work effectively alongside NHS provided services.

Mental Health

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total expenditure was on mental health promotion in each year since 1997-98.

Rosie Winterton: We provide support to implementing mental health promotion through our funding of the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE), part of the care services improvement partnership. Most of NIMHE's national programme priorities will not have had mental health promotion as a distinct priority, but will have included this as an integral element. Information on the exact proportion of spending on mental health promotion is therefore not known.
	The table shows NIMHE's total allocations for each year since 2002-03, when it was established. Information on funding which could have been used for mental health promotion prior to this date is not available. NIMHE's eight regional development centres (RDCs) are allocated funding each year to finance all mental health workstreams in their own areas, and RDCs make their own spending decisions, including choosing the proportion of their budgets which are spent on mental health promotion.
	
		
			  Total departmental funding for NIMHE, by financial year, since 2002-03 
			   Funding (£000) 
			 2002-03 8,563 
			 2003-04 12,007 
			 2004-05 22,903 
			 2005-06 23,908

Mental Health

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what physical protection is routinely offered to mental health professionals in the course of their work;
	(2)  how many attacks have been made on people who work with mental health patients in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps she is taking to improve the safety of patients and staff on mental health wards;
	(2)  how many  (a) members of staff,  (b) patients and  (c) visitors have suffered (i) verbal and (ii) physical assaults on mental health wards in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: The NHS Security Management Service has developed a range of both proactive and reactive initiatives to tackle violence and aggression against staff, including those who work in the mental health setting.
	A network of local specialists has been put in place, with the professional skills to provide advice on the protection of national health service staff, supported nationally by the NHS Security Management Service. All health bodies, including mental health trusts, are required to nominate a local security management specialist to provide localised, specialist skills. A specific accreditation course has been developed for those local security management specialists based in mental health trusts and the first course took place in April 2006.
	An expert group has also developed a national syllabus for the management of violence training in mental health and learning disability settings. The aim is to equip staff with the necessary skills to be able to identify and de-escalate potentially violent situations from occurring in the first place. The NHS Security Management Service has worked closely with stakeholders such as the Department, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the National Institute of Mental Health England to develop this syllabus.
	The information requested was not collected in the format requested prior to 2004-05. However, the NHS Security Management Service has collected data on the number of physical assaults on NHS staff in England for the period 2004-05. The figure for assaults in mental health and learning disability environments was 43,097.

Mental Health

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been provided by her Department for research into the  (a) prevention,  (b) treatment and  (c) cure of dementia in each of the last three years; whether she has made an assessment of the research funding provided by other EU countries; and if her Department will increase the priority for those purposes it gives to such research.

Ivan Lewis: The main agency through which the Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation. Recent levels of MRC expenditure on research into dementia(1) have been as follows:
	(1 )Including Alzheimer's disease, general dementia. AIDS-related dementia, Pick's disease and Huntingtons.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 6.6 
			 2003-04 7.4 
			 2004-05 not yet available 
		
	
	The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence needed to underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service. National research programme expenditure on projects related to Alzheimer's disease and other dementia has been:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2002-03 1.6 
			 2003-04 1.1 
			 2004-05 0.6 
		
	
	The Department has not made international comparisons of research spend in this area.
	The Department has set up and is investing £20 million in a national research network on dementias and neurodegenerative disease. The network will bring together NHS staff and resources to expand the number and range of clinical trials of medical treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, the funders' forum for research on ageing and older people will shortly begin the process of mapping the profile of ageing-related research and identify gaps. This work will help the Department, and other funders, to decide on research priorities.

Mental Health

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department collects data on the regional and socio-demographic profile of people with dementia; whether she has made a comparison of the prevalence of dementia in the UK with other EU countries; what plans her Department has for monitoring changes in the number of people with dementia; and if her Department will  (a) estimate the costs to the NHS of dementia and  (b) assess the economic effect on those affected by dementia and their carers.

Ivan Lewis: Data on the regional and socio-demographic profile of people with dementia is not collected centrally and the Department has not compared prevalence of dementia in the United Kingdom with other European Union countries.
	The Department is currently looking into the process of collecting information on older people with mental health needs, including people with dementia, and the services which support them.
	NHS employers have announced changes to the new general medical services contract for 2006-07. New indicators are being introduced to the quality and outcomes framework for 2006-07 and include the introduction of a disease register of patients diagnosed with dementia.
	The Department has not made an estimate of the costs to the national health service of dementia and an assessment of the economic effect on those affected by dementia and on their carers.

Ministerial Visits

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many visits to NHS hospitals  (a) she and  (b) each of her Ministers made between 4 April and 13 June; and which hospital was visited in each case.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 19 June 2006
	Between 4 April and 13 June 2006 the Secretary of State for Health visited the following national health service hospitals:
	4 April 2006—Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool;
	4 April 2006—Liverpool Royal Infirmary, Liverpool;
	4 April 2006—North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary, Stoke on Trent;
	1 June 2006—Lewisham University Hospital, London; and
	2 June 2006—The Whittington Hospital, London.
	The Minister of State with responsibility for reform visited Chase Farm Hospital, London on 8 May 2006.
	The Minister of State with responsibility for delivery and quality visited the following hospitals:
	31 May 2006—The Princess Royal Hospital, Orpington;
	1 June 2006—Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading;
	1 June 2006—Salisbury Hospital, Salisbury; and
	1 June 2006—Yeovil District Hospital, Yeovil.
	The Minister of State with responsibility for health services visited the University College Hospital, London on 11 May 2006.
	The Minister of State with responsibility for public health visited the Crawley Hospital, Crawley on 11 April 2006.

Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers Framework

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish the Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers framework (MoCAM); what the reasons are for the delay in publication; and when she expects to publish the evidence review of effectiveness of treatment expected to inform the MoCAM framework.

Caroline Flint: The delay in publication has occurred because of some recent changes made to the document to ensure that it does not contradict other key commissioning guidance, including guidance on "Models of Care for Drug Misusers", which has recently been reviewed.
	A comprehensive review of the evidence base for the effectiveness of alcohol treatment interventions will be published shortly, alongside guidance on "Models of Care for Alcohol Misusers" which will lay out how best to combine treatment approaches into an effective local alcohol treatment system.

National Beds Inquiry

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department is following the care closer to home scenario outlined in the conclusions of the national beds inquiry of 2000.

Andy Burnham: "Our Health Our Care Our Say: a future direction for community services" signalled our intention to carry out a project in conjunction with the speciality associations and Royal Colleges to look at a range of care pathways and service models that deliver care that is more convenient for patients in settings that are more accessible to them. The care closer to home demonstration project is now under way and it is considering intermediate care, step down facilities and greater use of community-based services as per the suggestions in the national beds inquiry.

National Radiotherapy Advisory Group

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many times the National Radiotherapy Advisory Group has met; when the next meeting will be; what the group's terms of reference are; when the group will report; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The national radiotherapy advisory group (NRAG) has met five times and will meet again in the autumn. We expect NRAG to report later this year.
	The terms of reference are as follows:
	to advise on the development and delivery of radiotherapy services, including relevant elements of the NHS Cancer Plan and the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance
	to advise on radiotherapy policy programmes including:
	demand and capacity for radiotherapy;
	streamlining service delivery;
	future developments;
	service quality;
	equipment requirements; and
	training and work force requirements.

NHS Connecting for Health Computer System

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will commission an independent review of technical and financial matters related to the NHS Connecting for Health computer system.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 24 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1880W.

NHS Direct

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on 
	(1)  what basis redundancies and site closures relating to NHS Direct were made; and what effects on costs these had;
	(2)  how many  (a) redundancies and  (b) site closures have been made in relation to NHS Direct.

Rosie Winterton: NHS Direct began a 12-week consultation period with staff and staff-side representatives on 16 May 2006 on proposals to ensure that its organisational structure, estates and staffing are fit for purpose to meet future developments and demand. The consultation period is due to end on 16 August 2006. The outcomes of the consultation will be made public thereafter.
	The NHS Direct consultation document proposes that 12 sites will close over the next 18 months. Implementation of the proposals will be dependent on a number of factors but the current estimate is that a maximum of 573 posts could be at risk of redundancy. However, these proposals are subject to the outcome of the consultation. A more precise estimate of the costs saved will be made on completion of the consultation.

NHS Direct

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many calls were made to NHS Direct in each year since it was launched; and how many calls NHS Direct is forecast to receive in each of the next two years.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington, North (Helen Jones) on 22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1574W.
	NHS Direct is a multi channel service which receives over 500,000 calls per month, as well as over 1,500,000 contacts per month through its web and digital television channels.
	Information on calls forecast is not centrally held. The information may be available from the Chairman of NHS Direct special health authority.

NHS Direct

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many telephone advisers were employed by NHS Direct in each year since it was set up; and how many telephone advisers will be employed in each of the next two years.

Rosie Winterton: Information on this is not centrally held. The information may be available from the chairman of NHS Direct special health authority.

NHS Information Technology

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her Answer of 16 May 2006,  Official Report, column 944W, on the NHS IT programme, whether the estimate of the cost of the contract over 10 years remains £6.2 billion.

Caroline Flint: The value of contracts let for the original core components of the programme amounts to £6.2 billion over 10 years. This figure is not an estimate.

NHS IT Programme

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she was first informed that the central cost of the NHS IT programme was likely to be around £9 billion.

Caroline Flint: The National Audit Office have made clear in their report published on 16 June 2006 that the contracted costs of the national programme for information technology over 10 years is £6.2 billion, and that this cost has not increased since the contracts were let in 2003 and 2004. The report also refers to central expenditure of £1.9 billion over 10 years. That will not just be spent on running the national programme, but also covers the functions previously undertaken by the NHS Information Authority, which was closed in 2005, and, in its last year, cost £219 million. It is clear therefore that the £1.9 billion is not additional funding but is in fact a reduction on what the central management of national health service information technology services cost before the national programme.

NHS Prescriptions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS prescriptions were issued in each year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: Figures are not available on the number of national health service prescriptions issued. Figures are, however, available on the number of prescriptions dispensed in the community in England, which is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Prescriptions items 
			 1997 500,153,113 
			 1998 513,209,036 
			 1999 529,770,174 
			 2000 551,842,948 
			 2001 587,049,035 
			 2002 617,021,718 
			 2003 649,702,677 
			 2004 686,138,915 
			 2005 720,283,164 
			  Sources: For figures from 1997 to 2004, these are available in the Statistical Bulletin to be found at: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/prescriptionsdispensed05 For the 2005 figure, this can be found in the prescription cost analysis tables at: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/prescostanalysis2005

NHS Service Contracts

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which US companies have been awarded contracts for the delivery of NHS services; and what the value was of such contracts.

Ivan Lewis: The Department itself has awarded no contracts to United States companies for the delivery of national health service services and does not collect information about contracts which are agreed locally between primary care trusts and providers.

NHS Treatment (Funding)

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps an NHS clinician can take if funding for a treatment they deem to be most clinically appropriate is refused by their primary care trust;
	(2)  whether a primary care trust may refuse funding for a treatment that has been deemed most clinically appropriate by an NHS clinician.

Andy Burnham: The responsibility for local health services is for primary care trusts (PCTs) who are responsible for the planning and development of services to meet the needs of their local populations. Where no guidance or directions have been issued to PCTs that are relevant to a treatment, PCTs should make their decision on funding based on their own assessment of the relevant factors and circumstances of the case. If a clinician is unhappy with the decision of a PCT they should request a full explanation of the rationale behind the decision in the first instance, and the PCT should seek to engage the clinician in dialogue with regard to treatment options.

Nuffield Speech and Language Unit

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will visit the Nuffield Speech and Language Unit.

Ivan Lewis: Due to diary commitments and parliamentary business, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health is regrettably unable to visit the Nuffield speech and language unit in the foreseeable future.

Nurses

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of professional misconduct were  (a) reported and  (b) upheld against nursing staff trained and qualified outside the United Kingdom in each year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: Incidences of professional misconduct are reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the relevant statutory independent regulator who deals with them under its fitness to practise procedures. Queries regarding this should be made directly to the Chief Executive at the Nursing and Midwifery Council, 23 Portland Place, London, W1B 1PZ, telephone number: 0207 637 7181.

Older People's Care

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Government have made of the extent to which continuity of care for older people encompasses the choice to live  (a) at home and  (b) in a care home.

Ivan Lewis: The Government's policy is to support people to remain in their own homes, where it is safe to do so and when it accords with their wishes and assessed needs.
	Most people want to live in their own home for as long as possible. To enable them to do so, the Government have made substantial investment in care settings such as domiciliary care and extra care housing. Domiciliary care services can help people to remain in control of their own lives. They need to be delivered in ways that reflect individual needs and wishes and with respect for individuals, their homes and preferred lifestyles.
	The Government believe that care homes are one of a range of options that should be available for supporting people with long-term care needs. We recognise that there will always be people who need or want the type of care that only care homes can provide. For them, care in a care home will be best suited to their needs and wishes and care homes offer them a positive choice. However, we believe that no one should be admitted into a care home until all other options have been explored and discussed with the service user, their carers and relatives.

Operations (Private Sector)

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what proportion of the Department's budget has been allocated to the private sector for the performance of routine operations for NHS patients in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what proportion of the Department's total budget has been  (a) spent on private sector contracts in each year since 1997 and  (b) allocated to private sector contracts in 2006-07.

Ivan Lewis: The Department's expenditure on centrally procured independent sector treatment centre providers, the General Supplementary Contract and the national contract for magnetic resonance imaging scans is shown in the table. Locally procured expenditure is not available.
	
		
			   Centrally procured independent sector (£ million)  Proportion as a percentage of total net NHS expenditure 
			 2003-04 1.4 0.002 
			 2004-05 80.3 0.12 
			 2005-06 198.6 (1)0.26 
			 2006-07 (1)233.1 (1)0.25 
			 (1) Estimated   Source: Department of Health

Osteoporosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Department's strategy is for encouraging general practitioners to look for early diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Ivan Lewis: The prevention, treatment, care and support of those at risk of osteoporosis are important components in the delivery of the falls standard of the national service framework (NSF) for older people. The standard requires local health services to establish appropriate interventions and advice to prevent osteoporotic fractures.
	The Department has asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to develop clinical guidelines and undertake technology appraisals of new treatments to build on and improve the framework of services set out in the NSF.

Picture Archiving and Communications System

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many images have been stored on the National Programme for Information Technology's Picture Archiving and Communications System.

Caroline Flint: At the beginning of June 2006, over 35 million images had been stored using picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) delivered through the national programme for information technology. 32 PACS systems are now live, with around six new systems being deployed each month. Before advent of the national programme, this figure was around only five each year. The bulk of PACS deployments will be complete by March 2007, in line with the plan to have finished deployment throughout the national health service in England by the end of 2007.

Practice-based Commissioning

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS services will not be contained within the commissioning scope of practice-based commissioning.

Andy Burnham: The services specifically excluded from the commissioning scope of practice-based commissioning are:
	core general medical services and personal medical services; and
	specialised services, services commissioned regionally and nationally and national screening programmes.
	These services are excluded from the scope of a practice's indicative budget as outlined in "Practice- based commissioning: achieving universal coverage" (January 2006) which is available on the Department's website at: www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/74/25/04127425.pdf
	A copy has been placed in the Library.

Private Care (NHS Facilities)

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress she is making in estimating the costs of provision by NHS facilities of private care; and what assessment she has made of whether the NHS makes a surplus from such provision.

Andy Burnham: The information is not held centrally.

Private Prescribing

Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the guidance issued by her Department's Medicines, Pharmacy and Industry Group on procedures for the private prescribing of schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs, in what areas of the country general practitioners will be permitted to use the new FP10PCD prescription forms once registered with their local primary care trust.

Andy Burnham: FP10PCD prescription forms are for use by all prescribers, including general practitioners issuing private prescriptions (non-national health service activity) for schedule 2 and 3 controlled drugs, where these drugs are to be dispensed by a community pharmacist. From 7 July 2006, their use will become a statutory requirement.

Prostate Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement about the pilot prostate cancer awareness campaign; and when the campaign will be rolled-out nationally.

Rosie Winterton: Raising the public awareness of prostate cancer is one of the key challenges for the future. We want men to know what their prostate is, what it does, and what can go wrong with it. However, we have to raise awareness in a responsible way so as not to cause undue anxiety and worry, and also not to overwhelm national health service services when there is no clear clinical benefit.
	Through the work of the prostate cancer advisory group, chaired by the National Cancer Director Professor Mike Richards, a pilot public awareness programme on the prostate has been developed. The pilot is jointly funded by the Department and signatories to the Prostate Cancer Charter for Action. The Department is providing £100,000 for the pilot.
	ContinYOU, a community learning charity based in Coventry, were successful in being appointed to run the pilot following a formal tendering exercise. ContinYOU is currently holding focus groups with different groups of men to assist in designing the programme, which is due to run in September 2006 in Coventry.
	A formal evaluation of the pilot will be undertaken, assessing the effectiveness of the intervention tools used in raising awareness of the prostate and the impact of the pilot on NHS services.
	If the evaluation proves that the pilot is successful, consideration will be given on how best to roll the pilot out across the NHS.

Prostate Cancer

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress her Department is making towards finding a diagnostic test for prostate cancer which would be suitable for use in a national screening programme.

Rosie Winterton: The Government are committed to introducing a national population screening programme for prostate cancer if and when screening and treatment techniques are sufficiently well developed for such a programme to be introduced.
	The Department is supporting the development of screening technology for prostate cancer by having a comprehensive research strategy into all aspects of prostate cancer. We are jointly with other National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) members funding two NCRI prostate cancer research collaborates, and the Department is funding half of the total £7.4 million cost.
	The research undertaken by the collaboratives covers all aspects of prostate cancer and has already generated the groundbreaking discovery of the overactive E2F3 gene in prostate cancer tumours. This discovery provides the potential not only to identify those at risk of developing the disease, but for the first time allows the prediction of how aggressive the cancer will be. Research is under way to turn this into a diagnostic test so that we can identify those patients whose prostate cancers are aggressive and urgently need treatment.
	It is important to note that in order for a screening technology to contribute to saving lives it is essential for there to be effective treatments for the disease detected. That is why the Department is funding a £20 million trial of treatments for prostate specific antigen (PSA) screen-detected early prostate cancer (the ProtecT trial).

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations her Department made to the European Commission regarding the inclusion of rheumatoid arthritis as a priority area of EU Framework Programme 7.

Andy Burnham: At the Competitiveness Council held on 30 May 2006, a general approach was agreed on the seventh framework programme high-level text. A general approach is a political agreement which allows Ministers to agree in principle to a text that has yet to be considered by the European Parliament. The United Kingdom Government have supported the inclusion of arthritis as one of the priority diseases named in the agreed text.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration she has given to the merits of establishing a national clinical director for spinal cord injury.

Ivan Lewis: None. Primary care trusts are responsible for commissioning specialist services through specialised commissioning groups, and the national service framework for long-term conditions is specifically concerned with meeting the health and social care needs of all those living with long-term neurological conditions.

Strategic Health Authorities

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will summarise the representations she received in response to the consultations on  (a) strategic health authorities,  (b) primary care trusts and  (c) ambulance services; and how many she received (i) in total and (ii) from Staffordshire.

Ivan Lewis: 1,030 separate letters were sent to Ministers, including the Secretary of State, during the consultation period on strategic health authority and primary care trusts reconfiguration. Of these, 11 were specific to Staffordshire.
	261 separate letters were sent to Ministers, including the Secretary of State, during the consultation period on ambulance trust configuration. Of these, 192 concerned Staffordshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust and eight of these letters enclosed petitions totalling 2,946 signatures. In addition, Ministers met with a number of hon. Members during that time.

Sunitinib

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to commence appraisal for the cancer drug Sunitinib; and how long the appraisal is expected to last.

Andy Burnham: Sunitinib for renal cell carcinoma is currently being considered by the Department for referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE will publish a timescale for the appraisal when and if the drug is referred to them.

Tuberculosis

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the risk to NHS professionals of litigation arising from  (a) misdiagnosis and  (b) medical complications when using the Mantoux skin test for tuberculosis.

Andy Burnham: The tuberculin product used in the United Kingdom (UK) is the most widely used product for Mantoux testing and is the World Health Organization reference standard. This product is currently unlicensed in the UK and can, therefore, only be administered on a named patient basis via a patient specific direction.
	Doctors prescribe or administer unlicensed medicines to their patients on their own direct responsibility. Unlicensed medicines can be administered by other national health service professionals on the directions of a doctor but the doctor remains responsible for the decision to give the unlicensed product for the individual concerned. A claim can be brought against a doctor who prescribes or administers any medicine, whether licensed or unlicensed, if the patient can show that the doctor acted negligently. NHS professionals are required to have in place appropriate professional negligence insurance in respect of such claims.

United Health Europe

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the contracts that have been awarded in the UK by  (a) the Government and  (b) primary care trusts to United Health Europe; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: One contract has been made between the Department and United Health Europe. This contract is for project management of nine primary care trust (PCT) pilots for improving the co-ordination of cancer care services.
	The Department does not collect information about contracts which are agreed locally between PCTs and providers or which are within the purview of the devolved Administrations.

Waiting Times

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had been waiting more than six months for an NHS in-patient operation in England at the end of  (a) April and  (b) May.

Andy Burnham: The number of patients waiting over six months at the end of April 2006 was 144. The figures relating to the end of May 2006 will be published on 30 June.